The Cabinet has given the green light to the construction of additional segments of the Red Line suburban railway system, with the bidding process expected to take place this August.
Vice Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Kobsak Pootrakul made known that the Cabinet has agreed to a proposal by the State Railway of Thailand to construct the Light Red Line on the Bang Sue–Phaya Thai–Makkasan–Hua Mak segment as well as the Dark Red Line on the Bang Sue–Hua Lamphong segment under a 44-billion-baht budget, totaling 25.9 kilometers.
Mr Kobsak insisted that the Light Red Line and the Dark Red Line, which are both part of the Red Line suburban railway project, will greatly help alleviate traffic congestion in Bangkok, especially on major roads and at railway crossings. The two lines will be comprised of elevated, ground-level and underground tracks.
The bidding for the two new segments is expected to be held in August this year. Construction is likely to begin in February next year and finish in late 2019 before the launch of commercial service the following year.
