Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
Transport authorities plan a 30-million-baht study on new electric rail routes, with the hope of connecting Bangkok with neighbouring provinces under a larger rail transport network.
Read the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about this project.
Unveiling the plan on February 10, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith compared the network to a cobweb of routes running from Bangkok in every direction to destinations under a 100-kilometre radius.
NEW NETWORK
Provinces that will be linked to the capital include Chachoengsao in the east, Nakhon Pathom in the west, Samut Prakan in the south, as well as Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya in the north.
The specific places will be known after the study is completed and put on a new route map, the minister said, adding that the study will focus on the number of people living in those areas and their travel routines.
"The new routes will not be built separately," Arkhom said. "They must be linked to old or other new routes."
STUDY SCHEDULE
The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning intends to allocate money for the study from the 2017 budget. A consultancy firm will be hired to carry out the 12-month study by the end of this year.
In 2018, the results will be considered by the Land Transport Commission before being submitted to the cabinet, which will be asked to approve the new electric rail network.
The project, which will take between 10 and 20 years in total, is needed because the state master plan on the first phase of the electric rail network is scheduled to end in 2019, Arkhom said.
BENEFICIAL PLAN
The main aim of the second phase is to build transport facilities to serve growing urban areas in provinces near Bangkok.
This will help relieve overcrowding and traffic congestion in the capital, Arkhom said, adding he wants to encourage more people to use public transport instead of cars.
Exercises
Match the following vocabulary words used in the story with the correct definitions from the choices given.
| …… 1. consultancy | a. a detailed plan that will make a complicated project successful |
| …… 2. facilities | b. buildings, services, equipment, etc. that are provided for a particular purpose |
| …… 3. encourage | c. a company that gives expert advice on a particular subject to other companies or organisations |
| …… 4. master plan | d. to give somebody support, courage or hope |
Vocabulary
- cobweb (n): a fine net of threads made by a spider to catch insects
radius (n): a straight line between the centre of a circle and any point on its outer edge
allocate (v): to give something officially to somebody or something for a particular purpose
congestion (n): the state of being crowded and full of traffic
