He noted that another reason the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) should run the new Red Line was that setting up a public-private-partnership (PPP) would only delay the opening of the service to the public. The deputy-transport’s statement flies in the face of the Enterprise Policy Commission’s recommendation that the line should be run by a PPP.
The stretch of the Red Line under dispute will run between Bang Sue and Rangsit. Mr Chivapruck noted that the government had no issues with private participation on the three other sectors of the Red Line. These three routes will link Bangkok to Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Pathom and are still in the planning stage.
The Bang Sue-Rangsit Red Line is 26kms long and will run parallel to the main northbound SRT route out of Bangkok. About 80 per cent of it will be elevated and the rest on the ground. Bang Sue has been earmarked as the new rail hub for Thailand and will eventually replace Bangkok’s Hualamphong Station.
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Thailand rules out private operator for Bangkok Red Line trains
News in Asia
Thailand’s Transport Ministry says the state railway operator will run services on a new Bangkok suburban line when it becomes operational. Omsin Chivapruck, the deputy-transport-minister, ruled out the participation of private companies by saying the government had supplied or borrowed all the money for the project itself.