MRTA: Purple Line will go ahead

Construction of the Purple Line railway route will be completed on schedule even though the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has postponed consideration of the MRTA's loan application from this month to March next year, Chukiat Photayanuvat, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor-designate, said on Thursday.

"We are still not sure if we will get the loan in March," he said. "But getting it in March would not be  a delay because it is still within the planned timeframe."

The MRTA expected the new  train line, connecting Bang Yai to Bang Sue, would be completed in 2014.

Mr Chukiat said that the MRTA had consulted the Finance Ministry about raising a loan from domestic sources, but the ministry insisted it wants the loan from Jica because other rail projects have received loans from this source.

After the finance was arranged, the MRTA would call tenders for the project, he said.