MASS TRANSIT | SootinClaimon.Com

THE Bt3.8-billion Gold Line monorail project for western Bangkok along the Chao Phraya River was given the green light by the Cabinet yesterday, with the line expected to be in service in 2018.

The elevated monorail line is 2.7 kilometres long, stretching from the BTS Green Line’s Krung Thonburi station and running through four stations to Prachathipok via Klong San.

The line will connect to the Purple Line’s extended route to Bangkok’s southern zone (Tao Poon-Ratchaburana) in the area adjacent to Wat Anong Kham Ram.

The Cabinet also instructed Krungthep Thanakom Co, a majority-owned enterprise of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), to study in more detail the possible impacts of the rail line. The concern is that it could hide the scenery of Rattanakosin Island in 25km radius in accordance to a restriction of the Cabinet’s resolution in 1994, said Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who chaired yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

Prawit, who is also defence minister, said the Cabinet did not set a deadline for the study. Once it is completed, the company can submit its finding to the Cabinet for further consideration.

Apart from easing traffic in Thon Buri, the Gold Line is likely to benefit many buildings and shopping complexes located nearby. One of them is the IconSiam riverside shopping mall and condominium project of Siam Piwat, Magnolia Quality Development and Charoen Pokphand, which previously expressed interest in partial development of the Gold Line. IconSiam, on Charoen Nakhon Road, is set to open next year.

The Gold Line project, which will be under development by the BMA, is expected to produce an internal rate of return of 28.5 per cent, according to a study by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

Moreover, the line is expected to save travelling time and fuel costs equivalent to Bt830 million a year after 2018 and Bt2.42 billion a year after 2038. The forecast is based on 47,000 riders per day in the first phase after 2018 and 81,000 riders per day in the next phase after 2023.

If it goes ahead as planned, the first 1.8km phase of the project will cost Bt2.51 billion and be completed in 2018. The second phase of 0.9km worth Bt1.33 billion will be completed in 2023 and will connect with the Purple Line extension.

The Gold Line monorail will use an automated guideway transit (AGT) system and each carriage can carry about 80 to 100 passengers, or 4,000 to 12,000 passengers per trip per hour.

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Transport-Ministry-aims-to-fast-track-10-mass-tran-30282145.html

MASS TRANSIT

SASITHORN ONGDEE
THE NATION March 22, 2016 1:00 am

THE TRANSPORT Ministry vows to commence 10 delayed mass-transit projects while the current military-led regime is in power.

The confidences stems from the consideration proccess via the super-fast lane, an amended environmental law, under which the state agency responsible for an investment projects can undertake the process of procurement and do not need to wait for the completion of the projects’ environmental impact assessment (EIA) review.

The projects are part of the country’s 20 urgent infrastructure mega-projects that the government plans to start by 2017. The projects have a combined investment value of Bt1.8 trillion and come under the Transport Ministry’s eight-year infrastructure development plan (2015-22).

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith announced the plan to commence construction of the urban-rail projects yesterday.

The master plan for the development of mass-transit train projects in Bangkok covers a 10-year period.

Arkhom said a long delay in infrastructure projects was affecting the country’s growth and the government now employed an infrastructure-led growth policy.

He said Cabinet approval would be sought next month for many projects. They include the following mass-transit projects: the Orange Line (Min Buri-Thailand Cultural Centre), the Pink Line (Khae Rai-Min Buri) and the Yellow Line (Lat Phrao-Samrong).

The bidding process for the construction of those lines is expected to be completed by August.

The Purple Line (Bang Sue-Bang Yai) is slated to commence services in August, four months sooner than expected, said Arkhom, while the Cabinet is expected to decide on the proposed Purple Line (Tao Poon-Ratchaburana) by June. Also in the mix are six dual-track railway projects, two of which are already under construction.

The plan is to submit the others gradually to the Cabinet for consideration and proceed with the bidding process.

The Thai-Chinese medium-speed-railway project is under negotiation while the design work for the Thai-Japanese high-speed-railway project is completed, Arkhom said.

He added that for the other two projects, high-speed trains from Bangkok-Rayong and Bangkok-Hua Hin, the ministry would try to seek approval from the Cabinet in April before proceeding with the bidding process.

Meanwhile, the expansion of Suvarnabhumi International Airport’s second phase is under way.

Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said that in light of the global economic slowdown, the government had shifted the focus to be more on internal economic growth, especially growth driven by the grass-roots economy.