Dr Anaphat Manovachirasan, Assistant Director of Operation, Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Company Ltd, Thailand |
Opportunities for collaboration and partnership to realize Thailand’s High-Speed Rail Linked 3 Airport project, valued at US$7.2 billion, ready for construction phase by the end of 2020, with project completion by 2023 [The State Railway of Thailand [SRT] has awarded the concession for US$7.2 billion high-speed rail project to the consortium led by Charoen Pokphand Group [C.P. Group]. With the signing of the public-private partnership (PPP) contract on 24 October 2019, between Thailand-based Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Company Ltd consortium and SRT, the project is now entering a new phase. The formal process of the high-speed rail planning continues. Prior to the construction phase, the process of removing and relocating utilities and other obstructions in the construction area, spanning 220-km, as well as to remove a gas distribution pipeline, will be executed. Based on schedule, the removal will be completed by the end of 2020 to pave the way for the construction phase to begin. The new high-speed rail network is expected to be operational in 2023 and is expected to generate economic development along the route. As such, besides construction and laying the rail track, transit-oriented development (TOD), which consists of the development near the projects, is key to the development parameter. The High-Speed Rail Linked 3 Airport project will feature 181-km of elevated track, 8-km of underground track and 2-km of surface track, as well as a total of nine high-speed railway stations and ten city line stations. The project will also include installation of electrical and mechanical systems, including signalling, power, communications, automatic fare collection, platform door, and train and carriage electrical supply. An operation and maintenance facility will also be built in order to carry out inspection and maintenance. Once operational in 2023, the high-speed rail network will connect three major airports in Thailand, namely Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport and U-Tapao International Airport. The high-speed rail network will provide connections to five provinces, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with representative from the consortium to review possible partnership and tie-up towards ensuring successful delivery of Thailand’s high-speed rail project linking three airports in and near Bangkok]. |