BANGKOK — Two more commuter rail extensions in the capital were given ambitious completion dates after the announcement Tuesday of a firm to build them.
BSR Joint Venture – consisting of BTS Group, Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction PCL and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding PCL – won the 105 billion baht contract to build the Yellow and Pink lines. Together, they will build two suburban monorail lines in a public-private partnership with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, or MRTA.
“The concession contract is expected to be signed by April 2017,” MRTA Governor Peerayuth Singpattanakul said.
Under the contract, the MRTA will be responsible for purchasing the land, while the joint venture builds the stations within three years. After that, they will retain the concession to operate the monorail service for 30 years.
The contract for the Pink Line is worth 53 billion baht. Its 34-kilometer route will run from the Nonthaburi Government Center near Khae Rai junction along Tiwanon and Chaeng Watthana roads to the eastern district of Min Buri.
The Yellow Line contract for 52 billion baht covers a 30-kilometer route from the Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection southeast to the Samrong area of Samut Prakan province.
Both routes were among many planned extensions delayed from the original plan now being pushed forward by the military government.
The joint venture beat out the Bangkok Expressway and Metro PCL, which operates the original MRT subway system and the new Purple Line.
BSR will need to negotiate specific details of the plan before the project goes to the interim cabinet for approval in March.
The MRTA said it chose to build monorail instead of heavy rail lines because it would have a lower environmental impact and cost slightly less.
