How much does Thai bullet train cost? Why did Prashant Bhushan apologise?
Thailand approved a 5.5 billion US dollar high-speed railway project to link Bangkok with China and gave the order to China in July. Now, there is a comparison between the cost of this project and the bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai to be built by Japan.
In July, China received the first overseas order to export its bullet train technology from Thailand. Thailand approved a whopping 5.5 billion USD for the high-speed bullet train project that aimed to connect Bangkok with southern China. The bullet train is set to start operations in 2021.
At a time when China was eyeing on receiving more international orders for building bullet train networks, two of them being in India -- Ahmedabad to Mumbai and New Delhi to Chennai -- the Narendra Modi-led NDA government decided to give the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project to Japan. Beijing was rubbed the wrong way with this decision of the Modi government, reports say.
Not just that, the launch of the ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed train project in the presence of Prime Minster Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was nothing short of a celebration. Modi and Abe laid the foundation stone of the project on September 14 in Ahmedabad. PM Modi, during the event, said, "Japan proved to be our true friend."
The project is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore.
Rs 1.10 lakh crore. That's too many zeros, many feel now.
Prashant Bhushan, lawyer and one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party, was one of them. Tweeting the July 12 news article on Thailand approving the huge budget, Bhushan tweeted yesterday saying, "Thailand approves 3000 KM Chinese bullet train from Bangkok to China for $5.5B. India approves 500KM train for $17B!"
Thailand approves 3000 KM Chinese bullet train from Bangkok to China for $5.5B. India approves 500KM train for $17B!https://t.co/NnyTGXU5zl- Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 2, 2017
Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who has been showing restraint in commenting on the policies and decisions taken by PM Modi for a while now, retweeted this tweet.
But were they right?
Not really.
Twitter users soon pointed out to Bhushan that the amount Thailand approved, 5.5 billion USD, was just for the first phase of the project spanning 370 km and not for the entire 3,000-km-stretch.
Against bullet train but need to set record right. 5.5 is only for Thailand part spanning 370 kms. Not even to the border. Only 1st phase.- shankar kalambur (@shankarkalambur) October 2, 2017
Realising he made a mistake, Prashant Bhushan clarified and apologised.
On further research, it seems that $5.5B may be for the 1st phase of this train track of only 256KM length. My apologies https://t.co/L5HZmYWhqE- Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 2, 2017
HOW MUCH DOES THE THAI BULLET TRAIN COST?
On September 21, Thailand's transport minister said that the first phase of the first phase of the high-speed railway project will cost approximately 5.5 billion USD.
The first phase will focus on a 250 km (155 miles) track -- from Bangkok to the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima -- out of the 873 km (542 miles) rail line planned to link Thailand's border with Laos to the ports and industrial zones in Thailand's east, a Reuters report said.
China had quoted a project cost of 16.09 billion USD earlier this year which Thailand said was too high. There is no clarity as to for how much money has the deal been finalised or if the deal for the entire stretch has been finalised at all.