1st LD Writethru: Thailand, China launch railway project

Thailand and China launched here Saturday a railway cooperation project which will be Thailand's first standard-gauge double-track railway line.

The launching ceremony was held at Chiang Rak Noi Station in central Thailand's Ayutthaya province, where the future Operations Control Center of the railway project will be located.

The two sides are collaborating in building a medium-speed railway line, which uses 1.435-meter standard gauge with trains operating at top speeds of 160-180 kph.

The 845-kilometer line is divided into four sections, namely, Bangkok- Kaeng Khoi, Kaeng Khoi-Map Ta Phut, Kaeng Khoi-Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai. It will pass through a total of 10 Thai provinces.

Thailand-China cooperation in railway development will help Thailand make better use of its geographic advantages as a land transportation hub, and boost its economic growth, Governor of State Railways of Thailand Wutthichart Kalayanamitr said at the launching ceremony.

It will also benefit Thai people, especially those living along the railway line, by creating job opportunities and increasing their income, as well as pushing forward tourism development and cutting transportation costs, Wutthichart said.

Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith termed the ceremony an important step in Sino-Thai cooperation and an important event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic relations.

The Thai government has always been supporting and promoting the Thailand-China railway project, and wishes it to be quickly implemented and railway lines inside Thailand to be connected with those in the southern part of China as soon as possible, Arkhom said.

On Dec. 19, 2014, Thailand and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on railway cooperation under the Strategic Framework for Development of Thailand's Transportation Infrastructure 2015-2022.

The Joint Committee on Railway Cooperation between the Thailand and China has so far held nine rounds of talks. Both sides are speeding up efforts with the goal of starting construction in May 2016.

Over the past year, the two sides have seen quick progress in railway cooperation, with a lot of preliminary work done, said Wang Xiaotao, deputy head of China's National Development and Reform Commission.

The launching ceremony marks the substantive progress in the bilateral railway cooperation and riper conditions for commencing the construction, Wang stressed.

Relying on its own experience in railway construction and advanced technologies, the Chinese side will help Thailand train technical and management personnel, and enhance its capabilities for pursuing further railway development, he added. Endit