Bangkok's Pink, Yellow rail lines to open in 2020

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-02 15:41:28|Editor: xuxin
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BANGKOK, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The winning bidder of Pink, Yellow lines of Bangkok's rapid transit said the construction work can start this year and will start operation in 2020, Thai media reported on Friday.

Thai cabinet on Tuesday awarded 105 billion baht (3 billion U.S. dollars) concession contracts of two monorail projects, the 34.5 km Pink Line and 30.4 km Yellow Line to BSR, a joint venture among BTS Group Holding Plc which is running the BTS skytrains in Bangkok, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc (STEC) and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (Ratch).

Keeree Kanjanapas, chairman of BTS Group which holds 75 percent of the BSR consortium, told Thai Post: "After we agree on the trains and all the land is surveyed, we can begin the construction work, in this year."

Thai government will inject some 40 billion baht for related civil works and BSR will invest 60 million baht in construction, train operation and management in the two projects worth over 100 billion baht in total.

The contracts of the two lines are divided into two phases, the first being the construction, which will last 39 months while the second phase is operation, which will last 30 years.

Keeree said the two monorail projects are now under the environmental impact assessment (EIA), but he was confident that the projects would get the green lights very soon as it would help reduce traffic problem in Bangkok, according to Bangkok Post.

Keeree also said they will work on a 2.8 km extension of the Pink Line to reach Impact Challenger Hall, where many international conventions and exhibitions are held, and also a 2.6 km extension of the Yellow Line to reach a station of the Green Line extension which is under construction.

He said the group will invest solely for the extensions which worth some 6 billion baht (176 million dollars).

Pakpoom Srichamni, president of STEC, said BSR will spend around 50 billion baht (1.47 billion dollars) in buying trains to be used on the two monorail routes. He said 42 trains are due to be used in the Pink line, while 30 more will be required for the Yellow Line.

Pakpoom said they are in talks with three major train suppliers and the deal is due to be finalized soon since they plan to hold a contract signing ceremony on June 16.

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