Dual track rail lines to be proposed to Cabinet in April

BANGKOK, March 8 (TNA) – The Transport Ministry goes ahead with upgrade of the railway system across the country and will gradually present transportation development projects to the Cabinet in April. Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith met the press at Government House on Thursday, saying that the ministry will propose mass transit development projects including ten routes of electric trains in Bangkok to the Cabinet for consideration within this year. Moreover, it plans to develop the dual track railway system. In the first phase, the dual track rail lines will be constructed in five routes, raising the country’s dual track rail routes from nine per cent to 33 per cent of the whole 4,000 km rail lines in the country. The second phase will cover more nine routes or 67 per cent of all railway tracks. Speaking about high speed train projects, he said the ministry has studied plans for the 2,506 km disance. The Thai-Chinese high speed railway project construction has already started. The ministry is confident that it will be able to open biddings for all 14 sections of high speed train projects within this year. Meanwhile, the 380-km high speed train route from Bangkok to Phisanulok under the Thai-Japanese cooperation will be proposed to the Cabinet this April. The extension from Phitsanulok to the northern province of Chiang Mai for another 288 kms will be implemented during 2022-2026. The ministry plans to extend high speed railway routes to other regions such as the eastern route from Bangkok to Rayong and the southern lien from Bangkok to Hua Hin and to Surat Thani and Padang Besar in Songkhla in the future. (TNA)