State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has awarded a consortium of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Hitachi and Sumitomo a Baht 32.4bn ($US 920m) turnkey contract to design, supply and install electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems for Bangkok`s commuter rail Red Line. MHI will be responsible for trackwork, overhead electrification, power supplies, signalling and telecommunications, while Hitachi will supply rolling stock. Sumitomo will be responsible for administration and local installation work.

The 41km metre-gauge Red Line encompasses two elevated lines to the north of the Thai capital. The 26.4km North Line will link Bang Sue with Rangsit, while the 14.6km West Line will run from Bang Sue across the Chao Phraya River to Taling Chan. The West Line is being financed through a loan from the Japan International Co-operation Agency, while the Thai government is directly funding the North Line. The Red Line is due to open in 2020.