The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board has approved the hiring of consultants for two Red Line extension projects, a step expected to improve travel between Bangkok and suburban areas, including Rangsit and Salaya.
SRT acting governor Anan Phonimdaeng said the board meeting on June 18, chaired by Department of Highways director-general Piyapong Jiwatthanakulpaisan, approved Asian Engineering Consultants Corp Ltd to supervise construction of the Dark Red Line extension from Rangsit to Thammasat University's Rangsit Campus. The contract, worth 166.73 million baht, is due to be signed on July 10.
The firm was selected for achieving the highest technical score and offering a competitive bid below the reference price.
Earlier on May 29 the board approved a 392-million-baht contract to hire a consortium led by TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management Plc (TEAMG), with MHPM Co Ltd and MAA Consultants Co Ltd, to supervise construction of the Light Red Line extension from Siriraj Hospital to Taling Chan and Salaya. The project includes three additional stations -- Rama VI Bridge, Bang Kruai–Egat and Ban Chimphli -- with the contract also set to be signed on July 10.
The SRT expects to issue a notice to proceed on July 15, with construction scheduled to take 36 months and completion planned for 2029.
Construction contracts for both extensions were signed on May 19. Unique Engineering and Construction Plc (UNIQ) secured the 6.057-billion-baht contract for the 8.84-kilometre Rangsit–Thammasat section, while the UT Joint Venture, comprising UNIQ and Trusty Construction Co Ltd, won the 14.72-billion-baht contract for the 20.5km Siriraj–Taling Chan–Salaya route.
