PM Visits Khon Kaen, Opens New Train Station

BANGKOK, March 13 (TNA) --- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the northeastern province of Khon Kaen where he opened the biggest train station on the double-track railway from Nakhon Ratchasima province to Khon Kaen. Before the opening, Gen Prayut worshipped at the city pillar shrine of Khon Kaen. Then he went to the Khon Kaen train station that is about 600 meters away to officially open the new station. He also inspected the construction of the double-track railway there. The Khon Kaen train station is part of the double-track railway from the Jira train station in Nakhon Ratchasima province to Khon Kaen. The station has been expanded from a one-floor small station to a two-floor facility. Its ground floor consists of ticket booths, commercial areas and a signaling room. There are escalators to the second floor that houses four platforms and other facilities. The expanded station was designed to also accommodate a high-speed railway system in the future. The new Khon Kaen station was elevated 14 meters above the ground. Its double-track railway was also elevated on a distance of 5.4 kilometers in Khon Kaen municipality to avoid five crossings with roads. The 187-kilometer-long double-track railway from Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen costs 24.33 billion baht. It will shorten a passenger train trip on the route from 3 hours to 1 hour and 20 minutes. A cargo train trip on the route will take 2 hours and 30 minutes instead of 6 hours. The railway will be capable of serving 10 million passengers a year, up from 2 million. (TNA)