State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand (Thai: การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย) is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.
History
SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam (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.
In 2005 SRT had 4,070 km of track, all of it meter gauge. Nearly all is single-track, although some important sections around Bangkok are double or triple-tracked and there are plans to extend this.
Main Stations
| Thai State Railway route map (excluding Mae Klong Line) |
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Legend
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Hua Lamphong or Krungthep Station is the main terminus of all routes and start in Bangkok; Phahonyothin and ICD Ladkrabang are the main freight terminals.
Northern Line
- Bang Sue Junction - The largest freight yard in Thailand and hence the main freight terminal. It is also a locomotive depot.
- Ayutthaya Station - Northern Bangkok suburban station. High passenger revenue, second only to Bangkok station.
- Ban Phachi Junction - A major junction, where the Northern and Northeastern lines separate.
- Lop Buri Station - The end of northern Bangkok suburbab service; a military town.
- Nakhon Sawan Station - Nong Pling station until 1956.
- Phitsanulok Station - Provincial station
- Ban Dara Junction - Junction for Sawankhaloke line
- Sila At Station - Depot on the Northern Line. Refueling station and up trains will be cut at this station
- Denchai Station - the dropping point for Phrae with a proposal for a junction for Denchai - Chiang Rai route
- Nakhon Lampang Station - Depot on the Northern Line. Train will be cut further if going North to Chiang Mai.
- Chiang Mai Station - Terminus.
Northeastern Line
- Saraburi Station - Provincial station, Pak Priaw station until 1934.
- Kaeng Khoi Junction - The Bua Yai Line and Khlong Sip Kao line diverge from the mainline here. Main Depot with refueling facility. The point for dividing freight trains into two trains to pass difficult section of Dong Phraya Yen (Kaeng Khoi - Pak Chong) or combining divided freight trains back into one train
- Pak Chong Station - The gateway to Nakhon Ratchasima and the point for dividing freight trains into two to pass difficult section of Dong Phraya Yen (Kaeng Khoi - Pak Chong) or combining divided freight trains back into one train
- Nakhon Ratchasima Station - Main depot of the Northeastern Line with refueling facility and a branch line to 2nd Army Support Command.
- Thanon Chira Junction - Junction for Nong Khai line close to Fort Suranaree (2nd Army Region HQ)
- Buri Ram Station - provincial station with a branch line to a quarry at Khao Kradong
- Surin Station - provincial station
- Si Sa Ket Station - provincial station
- Ubon Ratchathani Station in town of Warin - Terminus of South Isaan Line (also known as Ubon Line) with Depot and refueling facility. Varindr station until 1942-1943.
- Bua Yai Junction - junction with refueling facility
- Khon Kaen Station - provincial station
- Udon Thani Station - provincial station with refueling facility.
- Nong Khai Station in town of Nong Khai - Terminus of North Isaan Line (also known as Nong Khai Line), provides a connection to Thanaleng Station in Vientiane, Laos
Eastern Line
- Makkasan Station - the main depot of SRT (Makkasan Works), and City Air Terminal Station for Suvarnabhumi Airport Express Train (closer to Asok Halt than to Makkasan station0
- Hua Mak Station - Bangkok suburban station
- Hua Ta Khe Station - Junction for ICD.
- Chachoengsao Junction - Junction for Laem Chabang and Aranyapradesh Line.
- Aranyaprathet Station - Terminus of North Eastern Line.
- Si Racha Junction - Junction for Laem Chabang Deep Sea Port.
- Map Taphut Station - Terminus of East Coast Line - freight trains only.
Western Line
- Thon Buri Station - Terminus of Western Line
- Taling Chan Junction - Junction for Bangsue - Taling Chan link (also known as Rama 6 Line), the connection between south and north SRT systems opened with the building of the only rail bridge across the Chao Phraya River in 1925.
- Salaya Station - Bangkok suburban station close to Mahidol University (Salaya Campus)
- Nakhon Pathom Station - Provincial station
- Nong Pla Duk Junction - Junction for Suphanburi and Kanchanaburi.
- Suphanburi Station - A 2-car DMU operates to Bangkok in the early morning and from Bangkok in the evening.
- Kanchanaburi Station - Provincial station
- Nam Tok Station - Terminus of Western Line.
Southern Line
- Bang Sue Junction - Main junction and freight terminal with main Diesel Locomotive Depot and Refueling facility
- Thon Buri Station - Former terminus of Southern Line.
- Nakhon Pathom Station - main southern suburban station
- Nong Pladuk Junction - Junction for Namtok Branch Line and Suphanburi Branch Line
- Ban Pong Station - Interchange to Kanchanaburi for those who did not travel along Nam Tok branch line
- Rajburi Station - Terminal for southern suburban service, also Provincial station
- Phetburi Station - Provincial Station
- Hua Hin Station - station with beautiful architecture, crew changing station
- Chumphon Station - Provincial station, locomotive depot with refueling facility
- Ban Thung Pho Junction - Southern Container Yard and Khiri Ratthanikhom Branch.
- Surat Thani Station - crew changing station and provincial station
- Thung Song Junction - Locomotive Depot, refueling facility and junction for Kantang Branch.
- Trang Station - Provincial Station
- Kantang Station - Terminus of Kantang Branch.
- Khao Chumthong Junction - Junction for Nakhon Si Thammarat Branch.
- Nakhon Si Thammarat Station - Terminus of Nakhon Si Thammarat Branch.
- Patthalung Station - Provincial station, crew changing station
- Hat Yai Junction - Main junction in Southern Line, Locomotive Depot and refueling facility
- Padang Besar Station - International KTM station in Malaysia.
- Pattani Station - former Khok Pho station
- Yala Station - Provincial station, crew changingw station
- Tanyong Mas station - for Ra Nga district and Narathiwat
- Sungai Kolok Station - Terminus of Southern Line. Used to be an international station until the termination of cross border services.
International services
SRT operates international services to Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia, in conjunction with Malaysian state operator KTM.
A link across the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge to Thanaleng Railway Station, near Vientiane, opened in March 2009.[1]
There are 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 defunct.
In December 2010, following Chinese plans to extend their (standard gauge) network to Xishuangbanna on the China-Laos border and further into Laos,[2] the Thai government agreed to start negotiations on building a standard-gauge network.[3] This would initially involve two lines: from Bangkok to the Lao border, and a longer line from Bangkok along the peninsula to the Malay border.[4]
Rail links to adjacent countries
Intercity services
SRT operates intercity passenger services on the following lines:
Northern Line
Other Article : Express Nakhonphink
Northeastern Line
Eastern Line
Southern Line
Other Article : International Express, Thaksin Express
Active Locomotives & Multiple Units
Diesel Electric Locomotives
| Type |
Manufacturer |
Numbers |
Year(s) built |
Quantity built |
Power (horsepower) |
Max Speed (km/h) |
Image |
Note |
| UM12C (GEK) |
General Electric |
4001-4050 |
1964 (4001-4040)
1966 (4041-4050) |
50 |
1320
(2 × 660) |
90 |
|
Will be refurbished around 2010-2011. |
| AD24C (ALS) |
Alsthom |
4101-4154 |
1974–1975 |
54 |
2400 |
90 |
|
First batch of AD24C locomotives. |
| AD24C (AHK) |
Alsthom, Henschel and Krupp |
4201-4230 |
1980 |
30 |
2400 |
100 |
|
Second batch of AD24C, built under licence by Henschel and Krupp. |
| AD24C (ALD) |
Alsthom |
4301-4309 |
1983 |
9 |
2400 |
100 |
|
Third batch of AD24C. |
| AD24C (ADD) |
Alsthom |
4401-4420 |
1985 |
20 |
2400 |
100 |
|
Fourth and last batch of AD24C. |
| 8FA-36C (HID) |
Hitachi |
4501-4522 |
1993 |
22 |
2860
(2 × 1430) |
100 |
|
First batch of Main Line Locomotive Programme, used MAN B&W Diesel engine in short term , then replaced by Cummins KTTA-50L engine, later modified to KTA-50L. |
| CM22-7i (GEA) |
General Electric |
4523-4560 |
1995–1996 |
38 |
2860
(2 × 1430) |
100 |
|
Second batch of Main Line Locomotive Programme, use Cummins KTA-50L engine. |
Diesel hydraulic locomotives
| Type |
Manufacturer |
Numbers |
Year built |
Quantity built |
Power (horsepower) |
Max Speed (km/h) |
Image |
Note |
| V160 |
Henschel |
3001-3027 |
1964 |
27 |
1200 |
90 |
|
All locomotives except #3015 are withdrawn. #3026 preserved. Some of them were sold to Italian-Thai construction and rebuilt by Vossloh, rest were scrapped. |
| M1500BB |
Krupp and Krauss-Maffei |
3101-3130 |
1969 |
30 |
1500 |
90 |
|
|
Diesel Multiple Units
| Type |
Manufacturer |
Numbers |
Year built |
Quantity built |
Power (horsepower) |
Max Speed (km/h) |
Image |
Note |
| RHN |
Hitachi |
1011-1048 (power cars)
11-48
(trailer cars) |
1967 |
38+38 |
220 |
90 |
|
|
| RTS |
Tokyu |
D9-D16
(power cars)
TS4-TS7
(center/trailer cars) |
1971 |
8+4 |
220 |
70 |
|
Ex-Mahachai railways, to be refurbished. Similar bodyshell of THN and NKF but with different formation (power car-2 trailer cars). |
| THN |
Tokyu, Hitachi and Nippon Sharyo |
1101–1140 |
1983 |
40 |
235 |
105 |
|
Similar to NKF. |
| NKF |
Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi, Fuji Heavy Industries,Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Niigata Tekkousho, and Kinki Sharyo |
1201–1264 , (center) 2101-2112 |
1985 |
64+12 |
235 |
105 |
|
Similar to THN, but with plastic chairs. |
| Class 158 Express Sprinter |
BREL, Derby Works |
2501–2512, (center) 2113-2120 |
1991 |
12+8 |
285 |
120 |
|
Metre gauge version of British Rail Class 158, with different gangways and couplers. 3-car set. Will be refurbished with new seats, vinyl floor, on-board entertainment and new livery, and converted to 4-car sets in 2011 for intercity services. |
| APN .20 |
Daewoo Heavy Industries |
2513-2524 (center) 2121-2128 |
1995 |
10+8 |
298 |
120 |
|
First batch, narrow body. |
| APN .60 |
Daewoo Heavy Industries |
2525-2544 (center) 1101-1140 |
1996 |
20+40 |
298 |
120 |
|
Second batch, wide body. |
Other services
SRT also operates commuter services around Bangkok.
SRT operates the Suvarnabhumi Airport Link to Suvarnabhumi Airport which opened in 2010.[5] It is medium speed (160 km/h) and links with BTS at Phaya Thai and MRT at Phetchaburi,and a new transit center at Makkasan will allow air passengers to check in their luggage.
See also
References
- ^ "Inaugural train begins Laos royal visit". Railway Gazette International. 2009-03-05. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/inaugural-train-begins-laos-royal-visit.html.
- ^ "NEW CHINA-LAOS LINK". http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/10/new-china-laos-link/. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- ^ "STANDARD GAUGE FOR THAILAND". http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/12/standard-gauge-for-thailand/. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
- ^ "Railway Gazette: Two standard gauge main lines recommended". http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/two-standard-gauge-main-lines-recommended.html. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
- ^ "Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport rail link opens". Railway Gazette International. 2010-08-24. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/urban-rail/single-view/view/31/bangkok-airport-rail-link-opens.html.
External links