BANGKOK, 10 July 2012-The State Railway of Thailand will begin to replace railroad tracks across the country in order to increase safety for train passengers in light of numerous reports on broken tracks.
SRT Governor Mr. Yuthana Thapjaroen has disclosed that the broken tracks located around Laksi station have now been repaired. In addition, the SRT has already had a plan to replace all the tracks across Thailand; it has initially been allotted 5 million baht to replace the tracks from Bang-sue to Donmuang, where the crude oil train derailed not long ago.
According to Mr. Yuthana, contracts are expected to be signed with the company who will repair the tracks in the next few months. The Governor has also admitted that the tracks have been used for many years and have become worn-out due to lack of regular maintenance.
He further stated that the total budget needed to replace the entire tracks in the country would be around 21 billion baht. The work will be awarded to 21 contractors who have bid for the project. So far, 8 of the bids have already been opened. The railroad track replacement is expected to be completed within a few years.
