Hua Hin station not in rail plans
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Hua Hin station not in rail plans

HUA HIN - Thailand's most beautiful train station will not be disturbed by a project to bring high-speed train services to this resort town in Prachuab Khiri Khan province.

Pichet Kunathammarak, an official of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTTP), said a new station for high-speed trains will be built at a new location which will ensure Hua Hin station remained unchanged.

The office under the Transport Ministry planned to use part of Royal Hua Hin Golf opposite the station for the new station but it would not affect the golf course, he added.

The State Railway of Thailand has leased the land to Boon Rawd Brewery Co.

The OTTP held its first meeting on the plan with officials and locals on Wednesday after the government agreed to build the high-speed line from Bangkok to the town.

The office is undertaking a feasibility study.

OTTP director Chula Sukmanop said construction could start next year and the first train could roll out of Bangkok to the town in 2019.

The train would be able to reach speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour and take only one hour to cover the 225km route compared with at least three and a half hours on the fastest train today.

The fare rate has initially been set at 2.50 baht per kilometre, Mr Chula said.

The agency is studying four possible construction routes for the project. Building a parallel line to the existing southern route is probably the preferred choice as it will cause the least problems for people living along the tracks, according to Mr Pichet.

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