The Cabinet has instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to call bids quickly for five double-track railway projects and complete the tendering process within three months, Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akrathit said. The SRT has started dividing the five routes into 13 contracts from the previous five contracts, in line with the order of a government-sponsored panel tasked with supervising the procurement processes of all state agencies. The Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin contract worth 19 billion THB was divided into two civil-works contracts, while the Hua Hin-Prachuap Khiri Khan route worth 9.8 billion THB has only one civil-works contract. The Prachuap Khiri KhanChumphon route worth 16 billion THB was split into two civil-works deals.
The Lop Buri-Pak Nampo route worth 23 billion THB was split into two civilworks contracts and one contract for installation of the signalling system. The Map Kaboa-Jira Junction route worth 28 billion THB was divided into two civil works contracts, one tunnel-construction contract, and one signalling-installation contract. The three southern routes will jointly call a bid for one contract for signalling-system installation. The creation of the new terms of reference is in line with orders from the panel supervising the procurement of all state agencies to ensure bid competition and transparency. Anon added that the Hua Hin-Prachuap Khiri Khan route was expected to be put in the bidding first due to its lowest project value.
– The Nation