[Tlc] TL-bridge/railway

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin

2008-0218 - The Nation - Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge to close 
on Wednesday

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/18/regional/regional_
30065746.php

Regional 
ANN
Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge to close on Wednesday

Published on February 18, 2008

Authorities will temporarily close the Lao-Thai Friendship 
Bridge between Vientiane and Thailand 's Nong Khai province 
on February 20 to enable essential work to go ahead on the 
country's first railway link, Vientiane Times reported.

According to a notice from the Lao-Thai immigration border 
checkpoint last week, the bridge will be closed from 17:45 
to 19:00.

The notice was issued to alert government bodies, foreign 
embassies, international organisations, businesspeople, 
travellers and foreign residents in Laos to the closure.

According to the Lao Railway Authority last week, 
construction on the 3.5-km rail link from Nong Khai to 
Dongphosy village in Vientiane through the Friendship Bridge 
is now 80 percent complete.

Deputy Head of the authority Sonesack N. Ngansana said that 
if the project continues to be on schedule, it will be 
finished in April this year.

The remaining work includes welding the sections of track 
together, laying stones under the railway and building the 
station.

Officials said Laos did not yet have a train of its own; to 
start with only Thai trains would carry goods and passengers 
into and out of Laos.

A Japanese businessman has expressed interest in negotiating 
the purchase of a train from Thailand for Laos, but 
discussions with the Thai authorities have not yet reached 
an agreement.

Sonesack said the railway authorities of Laos and Thailand 
expected to hold a meeting to discuss services between Laos 
and Thailand based on an agreement for daily railway 
transport in cooperation with customs officials from both 
countries for the inspection of goods.

The railway is a priority of the Ministry of Public Works 
and Transport in promoting trade, investment and tourism 
with other countries, as well as integrating the landlocked 
country within the region.

A survey of the second phase of the railway, connecting 
Dongphosy train station in Hadxaifong district to the 
planned station in Khamsavat village, Xaysettha district, is 
now 20 percent complete.

The survey will cost 246,565 euros (US$361,796), to be 
provided by the French Development Agency.

The inspection of goods leaving and entering Laos will take 
place at Dongphosy train station.

After the 9-km railway link, the authority plans to build 
another station in the Km 21 area, to connect with the 
railway running from Vietnam through Khammuan province.

The project is part of the plan to build a trans-Asia 
railway network, with routes connecting member countries of 
the Association of South East Asian Nations.

By Somsack Pongkhao

Vientiane Times/Asia News Networ

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February 18, 2008 08:56 pm (Thai local time)
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______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu