The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) yesterday signed a multi-billion-baht contract for the construction of a new railway terminus and depot in Bang Sue.
The project is expected to be completed in two and a half years.
Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Pcl and Unique Engineering and Construction Pcl were contracted to build the Bang Sue terminus and depot worth 29 billion baht for the SRT.
The terminus will house four platforms for community trains, 12 platforms for long-distance trains, eight platforms for future use, a ticket office, a ramp to connect to the subway system and a multi-storey car park.
Presiding over the contract signing ceremony, Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt said he would push for the construction to be completed within two and a half years.
He said the Bang Sue station will play an important role in the country's mass transit system because it will serve as a hub for all the country's electric rail networks. He said there will be good connections to other modes of transport, unlike with the Makkasan Airport Rail Link station which was not properly connected to other forms of transport.
The contract signed yesterday was part of the Bang Sue-Rangsit section of the Red Line electric railway project.
The second contract of the project concerns the construction of the railway track between Bang Sue and Rangsit. Project creditor, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is reviewing investment details. The minister expects the signing to take place next month.
The third contract for the Bang Sue-Rangsit project is for the procurement of trains. Officials are examining the shareholding details of a potential contractor before this is signed.
Mr Chadchat said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who paid a visit this week, had expressed Japan's interest in Thai infrastructure projects, especially in transport such as high-speed railways.
The minister said he has encouraged Japan to bid for high-speed railway contracts in the future.
Mr Chadchat said bidding contest terms for the signalling system and train procurement would be announced in the third quarter of this year.