The director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Sarawut Songsivilai, has been appointed as head of the new Rail Department.
He was appointed during the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to assistant government spokeswoman Taksada Sangkhachan. His appointment will take effect after the King's endorsement.
According to a source at the meeting, his name was put forward by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.
His nomination was also given the nod by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Mr Sarawut said the administration has poured hundreds of billions of baht into new rail projects, including double-track rail routes, electric train and high-speed rail schemes.
He said the department will be chiefly responsible for enhancing rail transport services, such as formulating criteria to assess the performance of the rail services, ranging from punctuality to passenger satisfaction.
A Transport Ministry source said the emergence of the department has fuelled concerns among rail operators about the agency's use of power.
The agency will also asses the performance of contractors and those who fail to meet standards could be slapped with penalties.
Mr Sarawut earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Chulalongkorn University and started working at the Department of Highways in 1986. He became deputy director-general of the agency in 2013.
He was made the ministry's inspector-general in 2017 and promoted as the head of the OTP a year later.
