Four cities to start building light rails

Four cities to start building light rails

Light rail projects in four key cities -- Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima -- worth a combined 161 billion baht are scheduled to start construction next year.

According to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpitayapaisith, the projects are part of the Transport Ministry's big-ticket transport infrastructure plan in 2018. Public-private partnership (PPP) programme will be applied for the investment in the four projects.

"The government is hopeful that construction of those four projects could commence next year in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in those cities," he said.

Mr Arkhom said a feasibility study of Phuket's light rail project has been already completed.

The study showed that the 60km light rail will require an estimated investment cost of 24 billion baht, covering 23 stations. The rail route will link Tha Nun in Phangnga province to Phuket airport and Phuket airport to the inner city.

Chaiwat Tongkamkoon, director-general of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) said Phuket's light rail design has been completed, with the design plan due to be proposed to the Transport Ministry this month.

Mr Chaiwat says the light rail projects will ease congestion in the four cities.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority will later propose that the Phuket light rail project be included into the government's PPP fast-track scheme, as ordered by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.

Mr Chaiwat said Chiang Mai University has also completed the study on the Chiang Mai light rail development land and proposed two options: 35km of A route or 40.57km of B route.

The A route covers three lines: 12km Red Line, 11km Green Line and 12km Blue Line. The route will be made both on land and underground with a total investment of 107 billion baht.

The B route, meanwhile, covers 15.65km Red Line, 11.11km Green Line, and 13.81km Blue Line. The project will be built on land, with an investment cost of 28.9 billion baht.

The agency is scheduled to propose the development project for Transport Ministry approval this month before submitting it to the Commission for Management of Land Traffic's meeting chaired by Mr Somkid.

According to Mr Chaiwat, the Khon Kaen light rail project is at the stage of conducting environmental impact assessment.

The rail network will have 18 stops, spanning 22.6km. The current plan aims to make island platforms for the trains on Mittraphap Road, running from the Tha Phra locality to the Samran locality in Khon Kaen's Muang district.

The project is estimated to be valued at 15 billion baht, and the public and private sectors in the province are committed to jointly investing in the project.

He expects the development of the light rail in Khon Kaen will be a model for infrastructure development in other cities in the future.

Meanwhile, Mr Chaiwat said the OTP has already completed a design for Nakhon Ratchasima's light rail project worth an estimated 15 billion baht. The agency plans to propose the design for the Transport Ministry's approval later this year.

He said that apart from the light rail projects in those four provinces, the OTP is also conducting feasibility studies for similar rail projects in Phitsanulok and Udon Thani.

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