Replacement of 30-year-old cars may help enhance attractiveness of road go, says government
PUBLISHED: 30 Jan 2025 at 17: 46
With a budget of 24.1 billion baht, the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) will pay for the replacement of aging, 30-year-old diesel trains with 184 air-conditioned diesel cars and spare parts.
The new carriages may replace the current 10 long-distance passenger trains, according to SRT government Veeris Ammarapala, who spoke on Thursday.
The SRT wants to increase its capacity to compete with other modes of transportation to draw more customers, citing benefits such as lowering energy intake, traffic congestion, and reducing the impact on the environment.
About 30.3 million people used SRT service in 2024, away from 27.8 million in 2023.  ,
The road operator will spend the first half of the budget on 92 air-conditioned diesel traincars with a vehicle’s cabin, and the second half on 92 vehicles without the cabin.
According to Mr. Veeris, the new vehicles will be able to generate electricity using either battery-powered gasoline engines or battery-powered electric vehicles.
Each vehicle will include a space especially for the disabled and become equipped with WiFi on table, reclining seats, safe closed-system restrooms, and LED screens. The average price is 131.25 million ringgit per vehicle.
In 2027, Thailand did receive the initial shipment of 60 vehicles.
He said,” We will submit our report to the Ministry of Transportation for consideration and further submission to the cabinet.” The SRT will send an invitation to pay for the interested parties and the variety outcomes should be taken into account by July 2026, according to the cabinet’s approval of the project.
By April 2030, the SRT anticipates that all of the new streetcars may get operational.
New Mekong gate
In a related growth, the SRT is accelerating the design of a four-track Mekong River Railway Bridge to help railways and high-speed carriages traveling between Thailand and Laos.
An SRT source said the new bridge, part of the Nong Khai-Vientiane railway link project, is still at the project research stage, which includes design details and an Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA ) report.
By September, the SRT anticipates the research to be finished. The latest bridge was renovated to be used only for cars, and two new bridges may be constructed at the beginning.
About 30 meters north of the current one, a new railroad bridge may be constructed. It will be a four-track railroad bridge, with two lines for 1-metre gauge railways and another two for 1.435m regular high-speed carriages, said the cause.
The development phase is about 36 weeks, starting in 2026. In 2029, it may begin operation.
In order to add two more roads to the existing bridge crossing the Mekong River, the next phase of the project involves constructing a new vehicle gate on the north side of the latest bridge.
The development phase is 30 times, starting around 2041. According to the cause, it will be finished by 2044 and ready for use.