(KPL) Contractor of multi-billion-dollar Savannakhet-Laobao Railway Project Giant Consolidated Limited has defended itself against misleading information provided by an anonymous official from the Lao government authorities.
The company said in its press release dated 2 June 2014 that final survey by Digimap Sdn Bhd of Malaysia is still in progress in order to refine the alignment of the centre line of the railway.
The company said the initial survey conducted by Chinese company as directed by the Savannaket Provincial Public Works and Transportation Department has to be adjusted because the originally planned railway corridor will inevitably pass through: army camp, cemetery, factories and populated areas.
"We are now finalizing the realignment of the railway for the adjusted centre line. Bench Marks has been completed and GPS monuments have been erected along the railway corridor from Savannakhet to Dan Savan totaling 154,"said the press release.
More monuments are expected to be erected once the alignment is refined to avoid passing through potentially problematic areas that may increase construction cost.
The company said that UXO clearance teams are working daily and have found a total of 9 UXOs ju st at the proposed Nasy Station alone.
"UXO clearance teams have to clear all UXOs before more GPS monuments could be erected to ensure correct alignment before physical construction of the railway could commence work. Safety of the project is utmost important," the company said it its press release.
Since signing Master Agreement on 5 November 2012, Giant Consolidated Limited has done the followings:
" Giant Consolidated Limited contributed US$1.3 million kip to the Ministry of Planning and Investment one week after the signing of the Master Agreement, as a prerequisite to execute the implementation of the Master Agreement.
"From 4-28 November 2012, teams from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Lao Railway Administration, Savannakhet Provincial Public Works and Transport Department together with main constructors and surveyors of the company conducted the site survey for the said project.
"On 23 April 2013, CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd was appointed for Town Planning and Design for New Townships along the railway line.
" In June 2013, the initial report of the above preparatory works was submitted to the government via the Ministry of Planning and Investment and Lao Railway Authority.
"On 18 December 2013, a soft-launching and ground-breaking ceremony at the project site in Savannakhet was officiated by Deputy Minister of Transport of Malaysia Datuk Aziz Kaprawi, witnessed by Malaysian Ambassador to Laos Dato Than Tai Hing and senior officials from relevant government and provincial authorities.
"The company signed an MoU on 13 February 2009 with the Vietnamese government via Quangtri Provincial Authority in 2009 to link the railway from Laobao to Dong Ha, for railway access right through My Thuy deep seaport in Vientiane.
Giant Consolidated Limited, the developer of the US$5 billion Savan-Laobao rail project, has confirmed progress has been made in the preparatory stage of the 220km project to link central Savannakhet province with Laobao on the Vietnam border.
The Malaysian investor dismissed a report, carried by Vientiane Times on May 28 citing an anonymous government official, that progress on the mega project had not been made.
The investor signed a master agreement with the Lao government to develop the project in November 2012, witnessed by Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
General Manager of Giant Consolidated Dr M Firuz confirmed with the Vientiane Times on Monday that a lot of work had been done.
However, the physical construction of the railway has yet to begin.
Offhand he could not give the percentage of the progress. He was also unable to say when the project will be complete as this will be subject to final approval from the Lao government.
Detailing the progress the company said in its press release it paid US$1.3 million to the Lao government one week after the master agreement was signed, as a bond for the execution of the agreement.
In the same month teams from the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Lao Railway Administration, Savannakhet provincial Department of Public Works and Transport together with the company's main contractors and surveyors conducted a site survey for the project.
In April 2013 the main contractor appointed China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd to do a final survey and design of the railway.
Soon after, the main contractor appointed CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd for town planning and the design of new townships along the railway line, according to the press release.
In June 2013 the initial report on the above preparatory works was submitted to the Lao Government.
The company said a soft-launching and ground-breaking ceremony at the project site in Savannakhet took place in December last year.
At present, Digimap Sdn. Bhd of Malaysia is completing the final survey to refine the alignment of the centre line of the railway.
The company said the initial survey conducted by the Chinese company had to be adjusted because the planned railway corridor would have passed through an army camp, cemetery, factories, and populated areas.
Bench marks have been completed and a total of 154 GPS identification points have been established along the railway corridor from Savannakhet to Dan Savan. More GPS points will be erected after the alignment has been refined to avoid passing through potentially problematic areas that may increase construction costs.
UXO clearance teams are working daily and have found a total of nine unexploded bombs at the proposed Nasy Station alone. The clearance teams have to remove all UXO before more GPS points can be set up to ensure correct alignment before the physical construction of the railway can begin.
At present the contractors have deployed around 100 personnel for UXO clearance and 30 surveyors for the refining of the railway track alignment.
Without proper alignment we cannot proceed with the project. Without clearance of the UXO we cannot proceed with the project, Dr Firuz said.
He added that he was unable to say when all UXO will have been removed.
Dr Firuz said the final survey and its related documents would be submitted to the Lao government for approval.
Previously, Giant Consolidated had also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnamese Government via the Quangtri Provincial Authority in 2009 to link the railway from Laobao to Dong Ha, to provide rail access right through to the My Thuy deep seaport in Vietnam.
The Giant Consolidated Group said it was committed to completing the project that would certainly contribute to transforming Laos from a land-locked to a land-linked country, helping to rapidly develop the Lao nation.
(VOV) -The first phase of a 220km high-speed railway project, connecting Laos Savannakhet province with Lao Bao Border Gate on the Laos-Vietnam border will get off the ground in December.
The information was released at a press conference by the Laos Ministry of Planning and Investment on June 27.
The US$5 billion project, financed by a Malaysian company, Giant Consolidated Ltd, will provide a non-stop connection to Singapore, through Thailand and Malaysia, into Kunming province of China, and then Vietnam.
Once completed, the railway line will help Laos facilitate trade exchanges, support East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) integration, and promote economic growth in the Mekong Sub-region.
(KPL) Construction of a 220-km dual track standard gauge electrification railway project with US$5 billion from Savannakhet to Lao Bao, Vietnam border is due to take shape by 2015 and expected to be completed in 2018.
Director General of Investment Promotion Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Mr Achong Laomao said at a press conference in Vientiane last Friday.
The concessionaire of the construction of Savannakhet to Lao Bao Railway is the Giant Consolidated Limited, Malaysia through Giant Rail Company Limited (Lao PDR).
A press conference was attended by the Malaysian Ambassador to Laos, Mr Dato' Than Tai Hing and main contractor AETC Chairmen Dato� Sri DrAixijueluo Yuhao.
The Savannakhet to Lao Bao Railway will be the backbone of the country�s railway logistics. This construed as finally contributing to realization of Lao leaders' ideas and vision of linking East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) involving railway route from Myanmar-Thailand-Lao PDR and ending with the construction of �My Thuy Deep Sea Port� at Dong Ha in Quang Tri province, Vietnam.
Directly strategizing the landlocked Lao PDR with the Sea Port will not only for spurning Lao PDR import and export economic activities but consolidating EWEC integration as well as proposing an appropriate development direction in order to stimulate the economics growth of the Mekong sub-region effectively by transforming Laos into a land-linked nation. The project is expected to cost worth USD5 billion and expected to be complete by 2018.
Giant Rail Company Limited though DigiMapSdnBhd (the Project Management Consultant) has 12 technically excelled consultancy firms presented to all the relevant Ministries and department on project Presentation Session.
The consultants presented every aspects of the proposed railway construction on their field of expertise which covered inter-alia track work, bridges and structures, town planning, architectural and various systems to be employed. It was indicated that Giant Rail Company Limited has proposed realignment to the railway corridor. In the proposed corridor, the railway line inevitably passes through populous areas, shrine, army shooting range and factories. The realignment will make Seno Station as the proposed railway hub for Laos as it lies on a strategic location in the country.
UXO clearance has to be done before the construction work could start. During the survey done by the UXO clearance team, quite a number of UXO have been found in the proposed Nasy Station and also in the main Savannakhet Station. UXO clearance has to be done not only along the railway track but also along the corridor from Savannakhet to Lao Bao to ensure not only the safety of the railway line, construction workers but the populace resident in the area and public on a whole.
According to the President of Giant Rail Company Limited Mr. Mohammad Fadzwi Bin Hamidun and the Vice President Dr Tock Min Kin, the construction of the phase one project should anticipated to kick off in December 2014. The President also confirmed that the fund for the implementation of the project is already in place and is parked in a bank outside Lao PDR pending final approval, procedural guidelines on foreign currency remittance and depending on the right of concession by the Government of Laos PDR.
On 26 June, Giant Rail Company Limited presented a size scanner, a computer and a 32" monitor to the Land Department of Savannakhet Province.
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2014/06/18 - 07:00 
