Nakhon Ratchasima to launch electric rail transit after 7-year wait
The government has given the green light to a long-anticipated electric rail mass transit initiative in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
After a seven-year wait, the northeastern province is eagerly anticipating its own mass transit system, as noted by Sarawut Choedchai, a former city mayor and member of the traffic management committee in Thailand’s third-largest city after Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Sarawut reported that Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced this development during a recent meeting at Government House. The inaugural route, the 11.2-kilometre Green Line, will link Save One Market with the Baan Naree Sawat Protection and Career Development Centre in Mueang district.
Sarawut further mentioned that the committee, along with local officials, the Office of Transport Policy, and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), has engaged a consultant to study the line’s design and development. This study covers the railway system, engineering, traffic conditions, and the physical characteristics of each area along the rail route. It also includes the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the necessary investment.
The report outlines three options for the Green Line: an electronic bus rapid transit (E-BRT), a rubber-tyred tram, and a steel-wheeled tram. Sarawut stated that the committee favours the rubber-tyred system, featuring an elevated structure and an automatic control system powered by electricity.
Additionally, the report suggests a public-private partnership (PPP) investment model. The first route is anticipated to cost 8.2 billion baht, with fares provisionally set at 10 baht per journey. The committee plans to commence the design work later this year and will conduct public hearings next year.
Construction of the Green Line is slated to begin following the opening of the Bang Pa In-Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway (M6) and the completion of the Sino-Thai high-speed railway connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, reported Bangkok Post.
In related news, the ongoing land dispute in Buriram’s Khao Kradong area centres around the ownership of 5,000 rai of land, which deputy PM Suriya asserts belongs to the SRT.
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