Three-airport high-speed rail project faces overhaul
The Eastern Economic Corridor Office (ECCO) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have agreed in principle to proceed with a standard-rail project linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.
The project would replace the planned high-speed railway if the contract between the SRT and Asia Era One Co, a subsidiary of the Charoen Pokphand Group, is revoked.
According to ECCO Secretary-General Chula Sukmanop, the long-delayed high-speed rail project linking the three main airports is facing uncertainty and may be scrapped after Asia Era One, which was awarded the concession by the SRT to build the railway, asked the SRT to amend the terms of reference due to unexpected changes that affected the tourism industry and tourist arrivals.
A rail link connecting the three airports is still considered necessary, but the project may have to be scaled down if the contract between the SRT and Asia Era One is revoked.
Under the revised model, the railway would be downgraded to a medium-speed system, with train speeds reduced from 250kph to 160kph, while reviving the missing Red Line link connecting the Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The Red Line currently covers the Bang Sue-Phaya Thai-Makkasan-Hua Mak section and the Bang Sue-Hua Lamphong section, but lacks a connection to the Airport Rail Link and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Under this model, Chula said investment would be reduced from about 220 billion baht for the high-speed rail system to about 120 billion baht for the medium-speed railway. He added that there would be no need to build new rail routes or new stations, as some existing stations could be used, starting from Don Mueang to Bang Sue within the Red Line network.
He said the SRT must, however, complete the missing link on the Bang Sue-Phaya Thai-Makkasan-Hua Mak section to connect with the Airport Rail Link. He added that the existing eastern double-track railway from Suvarnabhumi Airport to U-Tapao Airport in Chon Buri could be incorporated into the network linking the three airports.
Regarding train operations, Chula said the private sector could invest under a public-private partnership (PPP) model or lease the railway network from the SRT to operate the service.
He also said Asia Era One could participate in the new bidding process, adding that neither the SRT nor Asia Era One should be blamed if their contract is terminated.