State Railway of Thailand to begin testing Japanese trains ‘before end of June’

State Railway of Thailand to begin testing Japanese trains ‘before end of June’

A KiHA train donated by Japan. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
A KiHA coach that Japan had donated. ( Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

Before the end of the month, the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) plans to start deploying the used cars from Japan on suburban feeder routes by year-end.

The donated trains had been modified to fit Thailand’s narrow-gauge paths, according to SRT government Veeris Ammarapala. Some of the 20 products that the SRT is renovating will be ready for use at the end of the time, he said.

At the SRT’s depot in Makkasan, Mr. Veeris noted that the trains ‘ engines, gearboxes, brake, and different operating systems are currently going through thorough testing, carrying out the checks in accordance with accepted norms.

The SRT anticipates a test run that will take place sometime between the final month of May and the end of June, he said. All pieces will become inspected once more before the railways are deployed on a test run.

After the trains ‘ interiors are finished, they will be upgraded to modern standards, which would appeal to people even more. For instance, the seats will be reupholstered with artificial set, which is more suited for residential commuter services, according to Mr. Veeris. However, the toilets will have waste-holding tanks and seats designed after Western.

The SRT has yet to choose on the final color scheme, he said, but once all the interior work is finished, the carriages ‘ roofs may be painted.

Later this month, between four and six trains may be ready for a residential feeder service.

As soon as the remaining models are operational, Mr. Veeris predicted, they will eventually be distributed. He claimed that this will increase the number of trains in the SRT ships, helping it meet the growing need for residential passenger services.