Thailand to speed up new rail projects

BANGKOK, Feb 24 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Transport is expediting the construction of a new 140-billion-baht Bangkok-Nong Khai dual-rail route to be complete by 2019, six years before its earlier schedule, as assigned by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The Ministry of Transport has also been tasked with conducting official studies on a new 150-billion-baht Bangkok-Nong Khai speed train project to facilitate cross-border public transport and logistics between Thailand, neighbouring Laos and China and on a new 33-billion-baht, 336-kilometre-railroad in the Thai Northeast linking Baan Phai in Khon Kaen with Nakhon Phanom to cater some 5.4 million passengers annually and about 250,000 tons of cargo yearly by 2017. The prime minister has also assigned the Ministry of Transport to conduct a feasibility study on a planned 50-60-billion-baht extension of land routes No. 211 and 212 along the Mekong River to serve cross-border public transport and logistics between Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. (TNA)