Khon Kaen plans for state-of-the-art light rail transit system

Khon Kaen province declared its intention to kickstart the construction of a cutting-edge Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.

Planned to begin in 2025, this ambitious LRT project, the first of its kind outside Bangkok, promises to usher in a new era of modernised transit, with its inaugural route encircling the Bueng Kaen Nakhon Reservoir.

The maiden phase of this visionary endeavour encompasses a 4.4-kilometre stretch, with a comprehensive feasibility study already in the bag. With construction earmarked for completion by 2027, the two-year endeavour is estimated to command a budget of 650 million baht.

Following the initial phase, attention will pivot towards the mammoth task of erecting the primary LRT line, spanning the Samran to Tha Phra subdistricts. This extensive segment, sprawling across 22.8 kilometres, demands a substantial investment tallying a staggering 26.96 billion baht.

Currently, negotiations with financial institutions to secure favourable interest rates for the Samran-Tha Phra project are well underway. Concurrently, meticulous area surveys are being conducted to lay the groundwork for construction, reported Pattaya Mail.

With officials eyeing a comprehensive resolution within the year, the stage is set for the monumental construction to kick off, also planned for 2025.

In related news, Krungthai COMPASS Research Centre unveiled a groundbreaking vision, identifying the China-Laos high-speed railway as the cornerstone for transforming the northeast of Thailand into an economic juggernaut within the Greater Mekong Subregion.

The centre disclosed that the China-Laos high-speed railway, now operational for both passenger and freight services along the Kunming-Vientiane route, will directly turbocharge trade and investment in Thailand’s northeastern region, seamlessly linked to this rail network. The government is primed to fuel the regional economy, committing an expected investment of around 760 billion baht over the forthcoming five years.

In other news, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is advancing with plans to construct three double-track railroad routes that will span a total of 634 kilometres. The project, which will require a combined investment of 113.14 billion baht, has been approved by the SRT board and was due to be submitted to the Transport Ministry late last month.