State Railway of Thailand
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The State Railway of Thailand (Thai: การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย) is the state-owned rail operator of Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.
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[edit] History
SRT was founded as the Royal Siamese Railway (RSR) in 1890. Construction of the Bangkok-Ayutthaya railway (71 km), the first part of the Northern Line, was started in 1891 and completed on May 23, 1892. The Thonburi-Phetchaburi line (150 km), later the Southern Line, was opened on June 19, 1903.
The Northern Line was originally built as standard gauge, but in September 1919 it was decided to standardize on meter gauge and the Northern Line was regauged during the next ten years. On July 1, 1951, RSR changed its name to the present State Railway of Thailand.
As of 2005, SRT has 4,070 km of track, all of it meter gauge. Nearly all of the track is single-track, although some important sections around Bangkok are double or triple-tracked and there are plans to extend this.
[edit] Main Stations
Hualamphong or Krungthep Station is the main terminus of all routes, Phahonyothin and ICD Ladkrabang is the main freight terminal.
[edit] Northern Line
- Bangsue Junction - The largest freight yard in Thailand and hence the main freight terminal. It is also a locomotive depot.
- Ayudthaya Station
- Ban Phachi Junction - A major junction where the Northern and Northeastern lines separate.
- Lop Buri Station
- Nakhon Sawan Station
- Phitsanulok Station
- Sila At Station - Depot on the Northern Line.
- Denchai Station
- Nakhon Lampang Station - Depot on the Northern Line.
- Chiang Mai Station - Terminus.
[edit] Northeastern Line
- Kaeng Khoi Junction - The Bua Yai Line and Khlong 19 line diverge from the mainline here. There is also a depot present.
- Nakhon Ratchasima Station - Main depot of the Northeastern Line.
- Surin Station
- Si Saket Station
- Ubon Ratchathani Station - Terminus of South Isaan Line
- Bua Yai Junction
- Khon Kaen Station
- Udon Thani Station
- Nong Khai Station - Terminus of North Isaan Line, provides a connection to Laos
[edit] Eastern Line
- Makkasan Station - the main depot of S.R.T. (Makkasan Works) and Future City Air Terminal Station for Suwannabhumi Express Train.
- Huamak Station
- Hua Ta Khe Station - Junction to I.C.D.
- Chachoeng Sao Junction - Junction to Laem Chabang and Aranyapradesh Line.
- Aranyapradesh Station - Terminus for Northern East Line.
- Si Racha Junction - Junction to Leam Chabang Deep Sea Port.
- Mab Taphud Station - Terminus for East Coast Line.
[edit] Southern Line
- Bang Sue Junction - Main junction.
- Thon Buri Station - Former terminus of Southern Line.
- Nakhon Pathom Station
- Hua Hin Station
- Chumphon Station - Depot
- Thung Phoe Junction - Southern Container Yard.
- Surat Thani Station
- Thung Song Junction - Depot and junction for Kantang Branch.
- Kantang Station - Terminus for Kantang Branch.
- Khao Chumthong Junction - Junction for Nakhon Si Thammarat Branch.
- Nakhon Si Thammarat Station - Terminus for Nakhon Si Thammarat Branch.
- Patthalung Station
- Hat Yai Junction - Main Junction in Southern Line, Depot.
- Padang Bezar Station - International station for connect with Malaysia.
- Pattani Station
- Yala Station
- Sungai Kolok Station - Terminus of Southern Line.
[edit] International services
SRT operates international services to Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia in conjunction with Malaysian state operator KTM.
A link to Vientiane, Laos across the Friendship Bridge remains in the planning phase. The current terminus of the line is Nong Khai. There are also plans to re-open rail links to Cambodia via Poipet from the railhead at Aranyaprathet. Railway connections to Myanmar (Burma), notably the infamous Death Railway, are now defunct.
[edit] Intercity services
SRT operates intercity passenger services on the following lines in Thailand:
[edit] Northern Line
Other Article : Express Nakhonphink
[edit] Northeastern Line
- Bangkok-Ayutthaya-Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen-Udon Thani-Nong Khai
- Bangkok-Ayutthaya-Nakhon Ratchasima-Buriram-Sisaket-Ubon Ratchathani
[edit] Eastern Line
[edit] Southern Line
Other Article : International Express, Thaksin Express
- Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin-Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Butterworth (Malaysia)(International Express)
- Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin-Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Sungei Kolok
- Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin-Surat Thani-Thung Song-Nakhon Si Thammarat
- Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin-Surat Thani-Thung Song-Kantang
- Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom-Kanchanaburi-Nam Tok
[edit] Other services
SRT also operates some commuter services around Bangkok.
SRT is building and may operate the Suvarnabhumi Airport Link to Suvarnabhumi Airport, scheduled to open in 2007. It is proposed to be high speed (160 km/h) and link with BTS at Phaya Thai and MRT at Petchaburi, in addition to a new transit center planned at Makkasan.
