THAILAND: Main contractor Ch Thawee–AS Construction Joint Venture has awarded Progress Rail a contract to provide signalling and telecoms for the double-tracking of the line from Khon Kaen to Nong Khai near the border with Laos.
Progress Rail’s contract includes the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of ETCS Level 1 lineside and onboard equipment for the 167 km metre-gauge route with 11 stations.
‘This marks our team’s first wayside project in Thailand, building on our ongoing ETCS Level 1 onboard initiatives’, said Hyung Kim, EVP of Infrastructure for Progress Rail, on November 10. ‘To ensure optimal project execution and customer proximity, we are enhancing our presence in Bangkok with dedicated resources focused on managing and delivering the work.’
The line handles a significant amount of freight traffic, and the upgrade is expected to increase the capacity of goods flowing between Thailand, Laos and China while reducing transport costs.
The route from Bangkok as far as Khon Kaen has already been double-tracked as part of a national programme that is expected to cover up to 2 500 route-km of SRT’s more than 4 000 km metre-gauge network.
