The Transport Ministry is set to seek the cabinet’s approval for its plans to further enhance the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Red Line electric commuter rail network, as revealed by Transport Deputy Minister Surapong Piyachote.
Mr. Surapong disclosed that the ministry will present proposals for the expansion of three extensions this week, namely the Taling Chan-Salaya extension, Rangsit-Thammasat University Rangsit Campus extension, and Taling Chan-Siriraj extension.
The proposals will be put forward after obtaining feedback from the Finance Ministry, Budget Bureau, and the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council.
The initial extension will involve laying tracks to link Taling Chan and Salaya, spanning a distance of 14.8 kilometers with six planned stations along the route. The estimated construction cost for this extension is around 10.67 billion baht.
The second extension, the Rangsit-Thammasat University Rangsit Campus extension, will cover 8.84 km and is anticipated to cost approximately 6.47 billion baht. This extension will include four stations along the route.
The third planned extension is the Taling Chan-Siriraj extension, which will stretch over 5.7 km with three planned stations. The estimated construction cost for this extension is 4.6 billion baht.
Bidding for these projects will commence this year, with construction expected to span 35 months from 2025 to 2028. Services along these extensions are slated to commence in 2028.
Additionally, Mr. Surapong expressed efforts to advance seven more double-track railway upgrades, with one of the projects, the 167-kilometer Khon Kaen-Nong Khai railway, already approved by the cabinet with a budget allocation of 29.7 billion baht.
The bidding process for this project is ongoing, with construction anticipated to start later in the year. Three other projects have also been greenlit by the SRT’s board, including the Pak Nam Pho-Den Chai railway upgrade, the Thanon Jira-Ubon Ratchathani railway upgrade, and the Hat Yai Junction-Padang Besar railway upgrade.
The remaining projects are scheduled to be presented to the cabinet within this year.
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