Bangkok – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has reported on the construction of Bang Sue Grand Station, due to finish by 2020.
Deputy Manager of Construction Supervision Consulting (CSC), Choosak Losagulpong, gave an overview of the megaproject in an interview with NBT World and China Radio International. He indicated that the SRT is currently working on the structure of the station, which covers an area of 240,000 square meters. The terminal consists of an underground car park, a concourse for ticket sales and a boarding platform. Construction has been expedited to pave the way for railway installation.
Choosak explained that three types of railways will go through the complex. Long-distance trains will accommodate passengers from other provinces travelling into Bangkok. Commuter trains will be used for public transport within the metropolitan area: the North-South line will run from Bang Sue to Rangsit, whereas the Southern line will run from Bang Sue to Bangbumru and Taling Chan. Lastly, Thai-Chinese high-speed trains are under consideration.
The CSC Deputy Manager stated that, when completed, Bang Sue Grand Station will add more routes to the existing BTS skytrain network. It will also serve as a transit point for the MRT subway system and the Airport Rail Link, providing connections to Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.
Meanwhile, Project Management and Administration Manager Santi Chatnarongchai discussed the challenges of the megaproject. The Bang Sue development is the first railway hub of its scale ever built in Thailand, which is further complicated by its location in the heart of the capital. Other problems include delays on materials, such as pipelines and railway systems.
