Reporters state that the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has organized a public hearing to gather opinions as it proceeds with revising the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Red Line suburban rail extension (Missing Link). The proposal includes relocating the construction site and renaming the station as "Ramathibodi Station," along with building a Sky Walk to connect to the hospital, aiming to improve travel and residents' quality of life.
Mr. Atthapon Kaeoprasert, Chief Engineer of Special Projects and Construction at SRT, revealed after chairing the public hearing that the railway authority recognizes the importance of developing mass transit systems to maximize public benefit. Therefore, it is revising details of the Red Light Red Line (Bang Sue – Phaya Thai – Makkasan – Hua Mak) and Dark Red Line (Bang Sue – Hua Lamphong) Missing Link project concerning the "Ratchawithi Station."
The key points of this revision include:
1. Station relocation: The station will be moved from the original position north of Aphai Jetsaduthit intersection to the south side of the same intersection, approximately 100 meters from the previous location.
2. Station renaming: The station name will change from "Ratchawithi Station" to "Ramathibodi Station."
3. Network connectivity: A Sky Walk will be constructed to link directly to the Ramathibodi Station transit center building, which is planned for future construction.
"This adjustment follows a proposal from Ramathibodi Hospital to connect the railway station directly to the hospital building, facilitating convenient access for patients, medical staff, and the general public to healthcare services and public transportation seamlessly," he said.
Mr. Atthapon added that the next step involves SRT collecting feedback and suggestions from all sectors, including government agencies, private sector, and civil society, to support the preparation of a revised project detail report within the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be submitted to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) for consideration. SRT has set a timeline and hired consultants to review the project study results, aiming to present the proposal to the Cabinet for approval of the design and budget by December 2026, with construction expected to start in 2028.
However, the State Railway of Thailand affirms its commitment to prioritizing public participation throughout the process to ensure that the country's infrastructure development truly benefits the greater public interest.
Furthermore, SRT acknowledges the importance of involving all stakeholders in the area—both those who will benefit from the project and those potentially affected—to ensure access to information regarding changes in the project's Environmental Impact Assessment for the Red Light Red Line (Bang Sue–Phaya Thai–Makkasan–Hua Mak) and Dark Red Line (Bang Sue–Hua Lamphong). This public consultation aims to present project study details to citizens, private businesses, and all sectors, using their feedback to optimize project implementation. It is hoped that suggestions and opinions gathered during this meeting will help make the study and project analysis reports more comprehensive and thorough.
For updates on the project's progress or further inquiries, please contact the Special Projects and Construction Division of the State Railway of Thailand at 0 2220 4775 during official working hours.