Thailand has asked Japan to conduct a feasibility study for a rail route running from Mae Sot in Tak to Mukdahan to help promote the East-West Economic Corridor.
Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith on Wednesday unveiled the proposal after he attended a meeting on Thai-Japanese rail system development cooperation in Japan.
Mr Arkhom said he had held talks with Hiroshi Muto, Japan's Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism.
Mr Arkhom said he had asked Japan to conduct a feasibility study on the rail route linking the west with the east of Thailand.
He said the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) had conducted a study of part of the route, from Mae Sot in Tak to Phitsanulok.
He said Thailand also asked Japan to send experts who can give advice on the rail network system to ensure the new route will not overlap with the existing one covering the eastern part of Thailand. Now, there are several routes covering Kaeng Khoi in Saraburi to the Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri, to Map Ta Phut in Rayong.
Mr Arkhom said Thailand and Japan have agreed on a joint development for two rail projects comprising a high-speed train link and a double-track rail link. Memoranda of understanding for the investment projects are expected to be signed by both countries next month.
Japan had decided to invest with the government in two rail projects: a high-speed train project linking Bangkok to Chiang Mai, covering a total distance of 670km; and a double track rail link on the Kanchanaburi-Bangkok-Aranyaprathet-Laem Chabang route, covering a total distance of 574km, Mr Arkhom said. The high-speed train will run at a speed of 300km an hour, he added.
The joint rail projects are expected to boost the economies of the southern provinces as the routes will cover the Dawei deep-sea port project in Myanmar and Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Thailand, Mr Arkhom said.
Meanwhile, ACM Prajin Juntong said construction of the first and second sections of a Thai-Chinese double-track rail project is expected to start in September, with work on the third and last sections to start in December. The route links Bangkok, Kaeng Khoi and Map Ta Phut.
ACM Prajin yesterday held talks with state authorities to prepare for a meeting with China on May 6-8 in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province.
