Laos-Thailand railway extension construction to begin shortly
Construction of the Laos-Thailand railway extension linking the existing outer suburban station to central Vientiane capital of Laos is expected to begin at the end of this year or early next year after the project was suspended in 2011, according to Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport on Tuesday.
Deputy Director General of the Lao Railway Department under the Ministry Sonesack N. Nhansana told local daily Vientiane Times that authorities in charge are working toward organizing a bidding process to seek a consultant firm and contractor to carry out construction at the expected date.
To be developed under the phase II, the extended line will be built over a distance of 7.5 km to link the track from the outlying Thanalaeng railway station in Hadxaifong district to Khamsavat village in inner Saysettha district in Vientiane.
Laos now has only 3.5 km of rail line linking its capital with Thailand’s Nong Khai province via the Laos-Thailand Friendship Bridge. When the extension is complete, it will boast 11 km of track.
Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the authorities in charge to work toward resuming construction of the extension in 2017 during his visit to Thanalaeng railway station in December 2016.
Sonesack said finance was available to fund the project as Thailand had provided more than 203 billion Lao kip (some 25 million U.S. dollars), of which 30 percent was in the form of a grant and 70 percent was a low-interest loan, said Vientiane Times on Wednesday.
Once construction resumes, it would take about two years to complete the project, Sonesack was quoted as saying.
The authorities have now agreed that one of the stations planned for Vientiane as part of the Laos-China railway, which will link Vientiane to the Chinese border, will be built in Thanalaeng village so the two lines’ services are integrated.
Deputy Head of the Railway Management Division Khamphet Sisamouth said previously that he was optimistic that once the extension was finished and operational, it would result in a significant increase in passenger number and tourist arrivals.
Thanalaeng railway station, the only station of Laos’ 3.5 kilometers railway, handles 2,500 to 3,000 passengers a month, Khamphet said, adding the station has registered growing numbers of passengers these days.
Work on Phase II of the railway began a few years ago, including construction of a container yard, dormitories for staff, and a rail operation office, as well as improvement to the signals.
More than 173 billion Lao kip (some 21 million U.S. dollars) provided by Thailand was spent on this work, of which 30 percent was given as a loan and the remainder was a low-interest loan, according to the report.
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/28/c_136400807.htm
