Thai railways to upgrade three more key routes to twin track
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport says it is already to seek cabinet approval for the upgrade of three more sectors of railway lines in the country. Deputy-minister Ormsin Chivapruck says the proposal is to change almost 500kms of tracks from single to double.
He noted that the upgrades would speed up journey times on the three arterial rail routes and was all part of the master plan to enhance the Thai rail travel experience. The first of the planned upgrades is for the Northern Line from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The 150kms of track between Pak Nam Pho and Lopburi will be upgraded.
The second sector is 130kms long and runs between Thanon Chira Junction and Map Kabao on the line to the northeast region of Esarn. At 165kms, the Southern Line sector linking Nakhon Pathom and Hua Hin is the longest of the current proposed railtrack improvements.
Deputy-minister Chivapruck says the proposals will be submitted for approval within the next couple of weeks and they should be put out to tender by the end of October at the latest. The total value of the contracts is more than THB70 billion and the deputy-minister stated the terms of reference were being tweaked to allow more contractors to bid.
Municipal authorities in Cambodia’s Kompong Thom Province say the recent UNESCO designation of a temple complex has led to a surge in visitor numbers. UNESCO added the province’s temples of Sambor Prei Kuk to the World Heritage Site list on 8 July.
Thailand’s one and only drum making village is preparing to stage an annual festival dedicated to showcasing the percussion instrument. The Ang Thong International Drum Festival will take place between the 26 and 30 July at locations in the province’s Ekkarat Sub-district.
Transport authorities in Hanoi say numerous tourists have taken advantage of the city’s new transportation option for sightseeing. The bright red double-decker bus looks as though it could have been plucked from the streets of London and even has the same open upper deck as the sightseeing buses there.
