Board Greenlights High-Speed Rail Phase 2 to Nong Khai, Appoints Wirat Amrapal as New SRT Governor
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board has approved Wirat Amrapal, the current governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), as the new SRT governor, the 30th person to hold the position. The board also gave the green light to the 341 billion baht high-speed rail project Phase 2, which will be submitted to the Cabinet next year. Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed in 2034.
Jirut Wisanjit, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport and Chairman of the SRT Board, stated that after negotiating compensation and presenting the results to the SRT Board, the appointment will be proposed to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, and then the Cabinet for consideration. The contract is expected to be signed around September 2024.
Anan Phothnimdaeng, Deputy Governor of SRT, mentioned that the board has approved the cooperation project between the Thai and Chinese governments to develop the high-speed rail system connecting Bangkok and Nong Khai in Phase 2, covering the Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai section, with a distance of 357.12 kilometers and a budget of 341 billion baht. The project will be proposed to the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies, and is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration around January 2028.
The project timeline suggests that the bidding process for contractors will open around early February 2028, with construction commencing around the same year. The construction is estimated to take 72 months, or about 6 years, with the project expected to be completed and operational around 2034. However, the details of the construction contracts are yet to be finalized, with the board instructing SRT to review them carefully, particularly regarding the division of areas and expropriation points for each contract.
Anan also noted that the SRT can submit the project for Cabinet approval without finalizing the contract details, as these will be determined later during the preparation of the bidding documents (TOR). The auction for the high-speed train operation along the entire Bangkok-Nong Khai route under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model has not yet been discussed in the meeting.
The board also approved the hiring of Epsilon Group, consisting of seven companies, as consultants for the detailed design of the second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge project in Nong Khai province, with a contract value of 119,946,221.04 baht and a study period of 12 months. The contract is expected to be signed no later than September 2024.
Currently, the high-speed rail project Phase 2 has not yet begun land expropriation, which will need to wait for Cabinet approval. After that, a draft royal decree for expropriation will be prepared, and the royal decree will need to be announced. The project requires the expropriation of approximately 1,991 plots of land, with a budget of about 12 billion baht.
The progress video for the month of July 2024, covering the high-speed rail project, Contract 3-1, focusing on civil works for the Kaeng Khoi - Klang Dong section and the Pang Asok - Ban Dai Ma section.
The Long-Awaited Contract Begins | Latest Update on Contract 4-2, Don Mueang-Nawanakorn Section, Thai-Chinese High-Speed Railway
nanny official
Aug 2, 2024
Latest update on the construction of the high-speed railway Contract 4-2, Don Mueang-Nawanakorn section. This contract involves the construction of an elevated track structure throughout the entire contract length of 21.80 kilometers or approximately 13.55 miles. The total construction budget is 10,570 million baht. The construction is being carried out by Unique Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited. Currently, the progress is at 0.24%.
Update! High-speed rail Saraburi-Kaeng Khoi: New stations are coming along steadily, not to be outdone by neighboring countries
Max Puttipong
Aug 2, 2024
Update! High-speed rail Saraburi-Kaeng Khoi: New stations are coming along steadily, not to be outdone by neighboring countries
This section is under contracts 4-7 Saraburi-Kaeng Khoi. Progress as of July 2024.
Negotiations on 'High-Speed Rail': Increased Bank Guarantees for Rail Systems by 40 Billion Baht - EEC to Finalize Contract Amendments in August, Proposing NTP Approval
Source: Manager Online
Date: Monday, August 05, 2024, 17:59
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is pushing to finalize amendments to the high-speed rail contract connecting the three airports (Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao). The proposed amendments will be submitted for approval in mid-August 2024. The negotiations include increasing bank guarantees for the rail system by 40 billion baht, adding to the 120 billion baht for civil works, totaling 160 billion baht to mitigate public sector risks. Additionally, the Navy will announce on August 6 that five companies are vying for the U-Tapao Airport runway project.
Jula Sukhmanop, Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee (EEC), updated on the progress of the high-speed rail project connecting the three airports. Currently, only a few details remain to be finalized with Asia Era One Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Holdings Co., Ltd.), the concessionaire. The finalized amendments will be presented to the EEC Board, expected to meet in mid-August 2024 for approval. After this, the amendments will be submitted to the Cabinet for initial approval, followed by a review from the Office of the Attorney General. Once reviewed, the amendments will need final approval from the EEC Board and the Cabinet, aiming to sign the revised contract by the end of 2024. This will allow the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to hand over the site and issue the Notice to Proceed (NTP) by late 2024 or early 2025.
Jula mentioned that private contractors requested to expedite the payment from the public investment contribution (PIC) based on project milestones, shifting from the original plan to start payments in years 6-15 post-completion. This change requires the concessionaire to provide a full bank guarantee covering the construction costs, equivalent to the public investment amount of 119.425 billion baht. This ensures that the private sector can complete the project, with the remaining details to be coordinated with contractors regarding construction schedules and payment installments.
An additional guarantee of 40 billion baht is required for the O&M system, including the procurement and testing of the rail system to ensure service delivery without future risks. Private contractors can use the unclaimed construction guarantees for the O&M system.
The EEC has agreed on several contract amendments, including adjusting the payment schedule for the Airport Rail Link (ARL) rights fee, totaling 11.717 billion baht. The payment will be made in seven installments, with the first six at 10% each and the final installment covering the remaining amount plus interest. Additionally, conditions requiring private contractors to obtain investment promotion from the Board of Investment (BOI) and the transfer of the 150-rai TOD area in Makkasan have been removed. Private contractors must provide three bank guarantees covering the ARL rights fee, construction costs, and the rail system.
U-Tapao Airport Runway Project
The U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City project, still in the bidding phase, has seen seven groups submit proposals, with five passing the qualifications. The Navy will open price proposals on August 6, 2024, aiming to conclude the bidding process by August-September 2024. Once the price is finalized, the contract will be reviewed by the Attorney General and proposed to the Cabinet, with the aim to sign the construction contract by December 2024.
The construction of the Eastern Aviation City by U-Tapao International Aviation Co., Ltd. (UTA) will be coordinated with the high-speed rail project, with NTP expected around the same time.
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