BANGKOK, 12 April 2013 The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) is planning to relocate the railway hub from Hua Lamphong train station to Bang Sue in a bid to prepare for the future links with high-speed rail projects.
OTP Chief Chula Sukhamanop told the press that Bang Sue station is set to become the new terminal, offering passengers a variety of rail service options, including high-speed train services. The railways project is expected to cut national fuel costs by 300 billion baht a year and has been predicted by the Finance Ministry to help lift the country out of the middle-income trap by 2020.
Bangkok Metro Public Company Limited (BMCL) foresaw that, with new rail constructions, rail use in Bangkok will account for up to 30 percent of all transports in the next 15 years, as opposed to 4 percent in 2013.
To achieve a more integrated service for the public, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning has asked the State Railway of Thailand to relocate its headquarters from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue while the Ministry of Transport could be moved from Ratchadamnoen Road to the same area.
The department has also instructed each provincial unit to modify its city planning to accommodate the new high-speed rail and dual-track rail projects.
