A new inland container depot (ICD) for shipping-based cargo is set to be constructed in Chachoengsao to support Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC)-backed logistics development plans, Transport Ministry officials have revealed.
Research for the new ICD is currently being carried out under the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), the office's chief Chaiwat Thongkamkoon said during the plan's first public hearing yesterday.
According to him, the studies have been going on for around two months, with results set to be compiled by next February. These will include where the depot will actually be constructed and how much it will be worth, he added.
OTP reports state the EEC Committee has allotted around 38 million baht for the studies.
Thailand currently has one ICD, in Lat Krabang district of Bangkok. The depot is responsible for sending cargo containers to and from Laem Chabang port, in Chon Buri, by rail. Containers are also loaded on trucks and transported by road.
According to the State Railway of Thailand, the current ICD spans around 645 rai, and is able to take in around 1 million six-metre equivalent units of cargo per year.
"ICD Lat Krabang is extremely congested at the moment, while demand for more cargo space is increasing," Mr Chaiwat said. "Rail logistics transport is far more efficient than using trucks, since the latter mode can hold only one container at a time."
The OTP chief said the new Chachoengsao ICD would prioritise rail transport, saying it could use the double-track railway networks which are currently being constructed in the province.
Second tracks are being laid on the 106km-stretch of railway from Kaeng Khoi junction station in Saraburi to Chachoengsao junction.
The full double-track network is set to be open by next February.
"Out of all the [EEC] provinces, Chachoengsao is the most promising, since it already has railway networks linking to the North and Northeast," Mr Chaiwat said.
However, the exact location of the new ICD and its overall cost is still undecided. Mr Chaiwat said public hearings for the depot will be held again in December and next January, with results being compiled before the end of February.
He said the depot will help establish Laem Chabang as a regional port among the CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) countries. Customs points will also be included in the new ICD, he added.
Aside from the EEC-backed depot, the OTP has also been drafting a master plan for new inland ports.
Initial plans involve them being constructed within 300km of main sea ports.