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Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Project Remains On Schedule

Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Project Remains On Schedule

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will lower the roof height of the Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Station to maintain the integrity of the original Ayutthaya Railway Station, following recommendations from the advisory body of the World Heritage Committee.

SRT governor Veeris Ammarapala announced yesterday that SRT officials, alongside experts from the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), including representative Michael Pearson, visited Ayutthaya province from Monday to Wednesday.

The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the cultural and physical effects of the high-speed rail project on Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The group toured important heritage sites and historical landmarks, such as Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat, the Ayutthaya Railway Station, Wat Phanan Choeng, and the Japanese Village, among others. They will compile data on landscape, urban development, tourism, and traffic before presenting their findings to the World Heritage Committee.

“The advisory body of the World Heritage Committee has concluded that the SRT should reduce the height of the Ayutthaya High-Speed Rail Station’s roof structure to ensure it does not overshadow the original Ayutthaya Railway Station and to preserve its historical significance,” Mr. Veeris stated.

He mentioned that the SRT has acknowledged these recommendations and will incorporate them into a heritage impact assessment (HIA) report for submission to the World Heritage Centre.

Currently, the Ayutthaya segment of the Sino-Thai high-speed rail project, which covers 13.3 kilometers and has a budget exceeding 10.3 billion baht, is on hold until the HIA report is completed.

Changes planned for the Ayutthaya station include reducing the station’s height from 37.45 meters to 35.45 meters and lowering the track elevation from 19 meters to 17 meters, aimed at minimizing the impact on the views of the World Heritage site.

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