Construction bids for high-speed train project in coordination with China to be completed in 2018

[webfact]

Construction bids for high-speed train project in coordination with China to be completed in 2018

By The Nation

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, fifth from left, yesterday joins delegates at a symbolic digging ceremony in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pakchong district to mark the beginning of the first phase of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed rail development

 

THE government has set a new target to call for construction bids for the Bt179-billion, 252-kilometre Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed railway by the end of next year, according to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittay-apaisith.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday presided over a ceremony to mark the commencement of the project in partnership with China at a historical site in Pakchong district’s Tambon Klangdong in Nakhon Ratchasima province, where King Rama V initiated construction of the country’s first Northeast-bound railroad more than a century ago.

 

The ceremony was also attended by a senior representative from the Chinese government, which signed a bilateral agreement with Thailand to provide high-speed train technology in late 2014.

 

 

Prayut said the project was the first phase of the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed train system, which would connect Thailand with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, as well as with China and India in subsequent stages.

 

Once completed, the route is meant to position Thailand as a transport and logistics hub for Asean and Southeast Asia.

 

 

The project is also meant to be connected with China’s high-speed train system as part of the One Belt, One Road cross-border development programme recently launched by China based on the ancient Silk Road, covering more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and other continents. The premier said the project would boost Thailand’s economic potential and create new trade, investment and tourism opportunities for the benefit of towns and cities along the route from Bangkok to the northeastern provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai, which border Laos.

 

Those benefits were aimed at helping reduce economic inequality and redistribute wealth, while saving commuting time and expenses between Bangkok and the Northeast. 

 

In addition, it would reduce |pollution and the number of accidents caused by congested |highway traffic.

 

The premier also urged government agencies to reform city planning and related laws to take advantage of new urban development resulting from the high-speed train project.

 

Arkhom said a total of 13 construction contracts for the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route would be open for bidding in 2018 so that construction could be completed and the system become operational in 2021. 

 

Subsidiary firms to be set up

 

Arkhom said Deputy Transport Minister Pairin Chuchotetaworn would be responsible for setting up subsidiary companies under the State Railway of Thailand to ensure the project was economically viable with a break-even point achieved in 30 years.

 

 

Separate business units will be established to take care of commercial and related operations so that they have flexibility to run the service and compete with low-cost airlines for passengers, since the project requires a massive investment of nearly Bt180 billion in the first phase.

 

Fares will start at Bt195 from Bangkok’s Bang Sue station to Ayutthaya and increase to Bt278 to Sara Buri, Bt393 to Pak Chong and Bt535 to Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

 

In the following stage, the route will be extended to Nong Khai, where the system will be connected with the high-speed train system in Laos, where China has also worked with Vientiane to create a linkage with its own high-speed train system in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

 

Besides Thailand and Laos, the cross-border system could be further extended into other Asean countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar.

 

In addition to the Thai-Chinese railway project, the Thai government has also worked with Japan to develop the Bangkok-Chiang Mai bullet train project with an investment estimated to be more than Bt400 billion. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30334497

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-22

[webfact]

After delays, ground broken for Thailand-China railway project

Reuters Staff

 

A train runs through, during the groundbreaking ceremony of the cooperation between Thailand and China on the Bangkok-Nong Khai high speed rail development in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand December 21, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (Reuters) - Construction of a long-awaited Thai-Chinese railway line that will link Thailand, Laos and China officially began on Thursday with a ground-breaking ceremony in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

The first phase of the project, a 250-km (155 mile) high-speed rail line linking Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, is expected to be operational in 2021.

 

The full line is expected to stretch 873 km (542 miles), linking Thailand and Laos at the northeastern Thai city of Nong Khai.

 

It is part of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road infrastructure drive, which aims to build a modern-day “Silk Road” connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.

 

But the Thailand project, which began in 2014 with formal talks, has been beset by delays, including disagreements over the design and funding as well as technical assistance.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday presided over a ceremony to begin construction of the first, 3.5-km section of the railway.

 

“Thailand is developing in every aspect to become the centre of connectivity ... and this route is to connect to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to China, India and further to other countries,” Prayuth said in a speech.

 

Completion of the first section is expected to take six months, according to the transport ministry.

 

In September, Thailand signed two contracts worth $157 million with Chinese state enterprises covering the engineering design of the project and the hiring of Chinese technical advisers.

 

Reporting by Prapan Chankaew; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Nick Macfie

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-22

[bluesofa]

Ha ha ha! Is anyone working there today, doing anything - the day after the second (or third?) ground-breaking ceremony for the three-and-a-half kilometres of track?

 

Forgive my scepticism, but if there was a ground-breaking ceremony every day, the government officials of Thailand and China would be able to build the entire railway themselves in, say, no more than a thousand years.

[Dave67]

The full article states the bidding does not start until the end of 2018 

[Dave67]

11 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Ha ha ha! Is anyone working there today, doing anything - the day after the second (or third?) ground-breaking ceremony for the three-and-a-half kilometres of track?

 

Forgive my scepticism, but if there was a ground-breaking ceremony every day, the government officials of Thailand and China would be able to build the entire railway themselves in, say, no more than a thousand years.

You can see most of them have never picked up a shovel in their life. Bidding starts end 2018 so nothing will start until mid 2019 the earliest, good luck with 2021, not a hope

[Dave67]

I made a mistake and thought that this was a part of Line 1 high speed bullshit express (Now Freight). As Japanese BBK -CM route is Line 2 high speed bullshit express. This one has become Line 3 high speed bullshit express

[Valentine]

The technology that will be bid next year will be outdated by the times it actually gets built even if it was ready by 2021 which I seriously doubt given the proclivity for delaying tactics.

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

You can see most of them have never picked up a shovel in their life. Bidding starts end 2018 so nothing will start until mid 2019 the earliest, good luck with 2021, not a hope

I misunderstood that then.

I thought the bidding was for the main construction parts, and the 3.5km show-piece was separate from that and would (allegedly) go ahead as a face-making exercise?

 

Yeah, the only shovelling that lot have ever done is with excrement.

[Dave67]

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

I misunderstood that then.

I thought the bidding was for the main construction parts, and the 3.5km show-piece was separate from that and would (allegedly) go ahead as a face-making exercise?

 

Yeah, the only shovelling that lot have ever done is with excrement.

You are right they will do the test track and then stop for 18 months

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

I made a mistake and thought that this was a part of Line 1 high speed bullshit express (Now Freight). As Japanese BBK -CM route is Line 2 high speed bullshit express. This one has become Line 3 high speed bullshit express

I love your description of it - the bullshit express - it comes I'm sure only from bitter experience of what's NOT happened in the past after being told it would.

[Dave67]

18 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I love your description of it - the bullshit express - it comes I'm sure only from bitter experience of what's NOT happened in the past after being told it would.

Pisses me off its mainly nonsense and many ruling bodies see high speed railway as a way of joining the first world, China for instance everywhere I worked resembled something out of the industrial revolution 

 

Newspapers as well, other than tourism Thailand hasn't got much else to shout about so high speed gives them something else. Also the fact this country needs hospitals, schools and safe infrastructure not wasting money for big face and Kudos.

 

Notice the timing of this and the Japenese system bidding end of next year, after the election. No one will commit to the building anything as the government will change. I doubt they will rely on the "Organic Laws" being followed. The same thing is happening in Malaysia no one will move until after election for the big projects

 

Two highly corrupt nations

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Dave67 said:

Pisses me off its mainly nonsense and many ruling bodies see high speed railway as a way of joining the first world, China for instance everywhere I worked resembled something out of the industrial revolution 

 

Newspapers as well, other than tourism Thailand hasn't got much else to shout about so high speed gives them something else. Also the fact this country needs hospitals, schools and safe infrastructure not wasting money for big face and Kudos.

 

Notice the timing of this and the Japenese system bidding end of next year, after the election. No one will commit to the building anything as the government will change. I doubt they will rely on the "Organic Laws" being followed. The same thing is happening in Malaysia no one will move until after election for the big projects

I appreciate your straight-talking on the subject. So when are you standing for election as PM then!

"next year, after the election" - was a that a pig flying past?

[tartempion]

A basic train system is what Thailand needs, they are 100 years behind schedule already.

I fly Bangkok-Udon Thani for 1k baht one way, no need for a high speed train travelling at 250kmh only.

[JAG]

A basic train system is what Thailand needs, they are 100 years behind schedule already.

I fly Bangkok-Udon Thani for 1k baht one way, no need for a high speed train travelling at 250kmh only.

 

Thailand has a basic railway system already. It is run down, unreliable and is essentially ignored by the powers that be ( they don't use or need it so it doesn't matter). For a fraction of the monies being talked about it could be modernised, capacity increased and standards of safety reliability and comfort could be improved, giving most parts of the country access to an adequate rail system.

 

Unfortunately that would entail only a fraction of the "brown envelopes" and face enhancing antics which are driving these disparate projects...

 

Sent from my KENNY using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, klauskunkel said:

p

Payment by Prayut Express... that will do nicely sir.

[12DrinkMore]

 

Good Lord!!!!

 

Is that Somchai asleep at the helm?????

 

 

[Lupatria]

It's a modern days Trojan Horse and part 2 of the colonialisation plan.

[Ricardo]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

I appreciate your straight-talking on the subject. So when are you standing for election as PM then!

"next year, after the election" - was a that a pig flying past?

 

I think it may have been a supersonic-pig, maintained at the new global aircraft-maintenance-centre at Utapao, Thailand's latest hub ? 

 

A sense of humour is IMO essential, also listening to what's said or reported, and then comparing it with what's been said previously & with what actually makes sense to you !  

[Emster23]

58 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

"I thought it would be much larger..... where is that son in law with the engineering degree that approved this?"

[Ricardo]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Ha ha ha! Is anyone working there today, doing anything - the day after the second (or third?) ground-breaking ceremony for the three-and-a-half kilometres of track?

 

Forgive my scepticism, but if there was a ground-breaking ceremony every day, the government officials of Thailand and China would be able to build the entire railway themselves in, say, no more than a thousand years.

 

I can't be the only one who remembers the similar ground-breaking ceremony in 2015, where they planted a flag on the (metre-gauge) track at a station just North of Bangkok, to mark the start of work on the standard-gauge medium-speed mainly-freight Bangkok-China line ?

 

Well, it all looks good on TV, and sells newspapers, I suppose. 

 

1 hour ago, Valentine said:

The technology that will be bid next year will be outdated by the times it actually gets built even if it was ready by 2021 which I seriously doubt given the proclivity for delaying tactics.

 

When built this new line will still mark a serious step forward for Thailand, whether it also needs to be (or will be) cutting-edge in technology-terms is something for the politicians to boast about, just so long as they don't actually try to do it in reality !  Since they sometimes appear to not know what they're talking about.

 

It will give Thailand an improved passenger-link, along the actual route, to the North-East.  It will boost volumes passing through Laem Chabang, and possibly other Eastern-Seaboard ports too, which creates jobs & profit.  It will enable cheap Thai-manufactures & agricultural-products to be shipped North to China more cheaply/efficiently. It will enable Laos to move its imports & exports more swiftly and efficiently.

 

It will also give China a new route, to a major Thai port, for their containerised export-trade.  They will be able to ship their manufactured-goods more cheaply/quickly to Thai consumers, and we'll see how well-prepared Thai industry is for the coming competition.  It may even lead to some extra Chinese tourists coming here, ones who live in Southern China, and can't already get here by the cheap charter-flights which are booming !

 

This is all good stuff, but would the line (to Laos) have been built without the Chinese pressure, I doubt it.  Getting the Thais to pay for much/all of their section of it, and carry the commercial-risk, well that may or may not turn out to be a good investment.  We shall see  ...  in 30-50 years' time, perhaps.  Or it might become another Hopewell-project, much sooner.

 

I think Thailand has been somewhat clever, in getting the Bangkok-Khorat section built first, because the Chinese still need (and may perhaps pay something towards) the Nong Khai to Khorat section, and the Khaeng Khoi to Laem Chabang to Maptaphut section, for it to work economically for them.

 

Meanwhile the three-kilometer test-section looks a little bit more likely to get built.  One step at a time, eh ?

[mr_lob]

ground broken? Well it wasn't long before something was broken on this Chinese junk.

[sammieuk1]

Golden rule of rail keep the slow trains on the tracks first high speed could be a slight problem.

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, mr_lob said:

ground broken? Well it wasn't long before something was broken on this Chinese junk.

Chinese junk? It's a railway, not a boat...

[Belzybob]

33 minutes ago, mr_lob said:

ground broken? Well it wasn't long before something was broken on this Chinese junk.

It was a typo in the original article, it should have read "Wind broken"

[Ossy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday presided over a ceremony to begin construction of the first, 3.5-km section of the railway.

That's certainly ground-breaking news and, at least, Chicken-Legs will have a railway to brag about, albeit a mere 2 miles long.

Here he is, getting angry 'cos "some sirry irriot has drawn the lailway ABOVE the big liver."

[SunsetT]

Have you ever travelled North from Vientiane to Luang Prabang? North of Vang Vieng it is mountains all the way! Why have the Chinese chosen this very long route when they could have gone through Laos north of Chiang Kong which is only about 200kl? It can only be to get their hands on the minerals in them thar mountains.

[PAIBKK]

Just another money pit.

[wvavin]

This takes 30 years to break even provided there is no one is helping themselves along the way and also zero derailment!

[mikiea]

8 hours ago, Dave67 said:

The full article states the bidding does not start until the end of 2018 

raggally azz baht buses with wheels falling off . city buses stinking up the street, and a broken crooked taxi system  ........and the brass want a shiny new aircraft carrier/pair of subs/pretty high speed train  ?  people's priorities what .... huh ? i wonder how many watches gunna change hands ......oh yea , i cannot see any thai's driving these new toys , so who will be ?