Eleven controversial proposals floated for a high-speed rail project linking three major airports have been dropped, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Worawut Mala says.
The proposals, which were not part of the Terms of Reference (ToR), had been put forth by a consortium led by Charoen Pokphand Group (CP). The consortium submitted the lowest bid for the line linking Don Mueang airport in Bangkok with Suvarnabhumi in Samut Prakan and U-Tapao in Rayong.
The consortium and CP decided to scrap the proposals which included extending the project concession from 50 years to 99 years, obtaining a subsidy for the project from the first year, lowering the single lending limit for CP, requiring the government to secure a low-interest loan of 4% per year, making the government pay compensation for damages caused by delays, and forbidding the SRT from engaging in competing projects.