The caretaker cabinet yesterday ordered the Transport Ministry to study the widening of national railway tracks from a metre to 1.4 metres in a revamp that would cost tens of billions of baht. Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said economic ministers agreed during a meeting, chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, yesterday that the study should be made into the replacement of the current track width of one metre, also known as the ''metre gauge'', with the 1.4-metre width, known as the standard gauge, to meet the evolution in the demands of cargo transportation.
With the conventional metre gauge, the speed of trains is limited due to the narrow wheel base.
Mr Pongsak's predecessor, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, had proposed three years ago to reform national railway track widths and then the plan had been estimated to cost 30-40 billion baht.
The economic ministers also ordered the Transport Ministry to study the construction of double railway tracks from Bangkok toward major provinces.
According to Mr Pongsak, the study will look into the installation of double tracks from Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Sawan. This is also designed to give a boost to cargo transportation services.
In addition, Mr Thaksin ordered special discounts for monthly Bangkok bus tickets to help commuters cope with the high cost of living triggered by rising fuel prices.
Maitree Srinarawat, director of the ministry's Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, said the prime minister wanted the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority to retail its monthly tickets for ordinary buses and air-conditioned buses at 300 and 500 baht, respectively, for six months.
Based on commuters' four bus trips a day and 26 working days a month, the BMTA's cost to serve a commuter each month was 800 baht and over 1,000 baht for ordinary and air-conditioned bus services, respectively, he said.
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