Cheaper airport link trains sought

Cheaper airport link trains sought

Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt has ordered SRT Electrified Train Co Ltd (SRTET) to seek less expensive trains to add to the Airport Rail Link.

Carriage interior (Post Photo)

SRTET is responsible for the rail service between Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province.

It had proposed a plan to buy seven trains, four carriages each, worth a total of 5.2 billion baht. Mr Chadchat said that was too expensive.

The cost of the trains is too high compared to trains from German industrial giant Siemens, Mr Chadchat said on Thursday.

He said SRTET should review its procurement plan.

Mr Chadchat said the SRTET also plans to borrow 420 million baht to boost the agency’s liquidity. Most of that money will be used to buy spare parts for trains, he said. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which supervises the SRTET, should work on its masterplan to seek the revenue to pay back the loans, he added.

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