Double-Track Railway "Hat Yai-Padang Besar-Kelantan State" to Boost Tourism and Border Economy
30/07/2024 @ch-newsthailand.com
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is working on the double-track railway project connecting Hat Yai to Padang Besar in Narathiwat province with Kelantan State in Malaysia. The project is currently in the budget approval phase. SRT currently operates 12 trains per day on this route, with plans to expand capacity.
Mr. Wichai Saelim, a former founder of the Songkhla Province Professional Tourist Guide Association, mentioned that a letter was sent to the Prime Minister Mr. Srettha Thavisin on March 15, 2024, concerning the development of the tourism industry in Songkhla province. The letter highlighted the need to connect the Thai railway station in Padang Besar, Sadao District, Songkhla, with the Padang Besar station in Perlis State, Malaysia, located on the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Mr. Wichai pointed out that Malaysian travelers are increasingly using train services due to their convenience, safety, comfort, and affordability. This reduces traffic congestion and obstacles in downtown Hat Yai, Songkhla.
Mr. Jaray Rungthaniyom, Deputy Governor and Acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand, confirmed that currently, SRT operates two special express trains, Nos. 45/56, between Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station and Padang Besar daily. Additionally, four trains, Nos. 947-950, run between Hat Yai and Padang Besar daily. There are also regular passenger and cargo services connecting with Malaysian railways.
The 43rd joint meeting between SRT and Malaysian Railways (41st 54 SRT - KTMB Joint Conference) from August 15-18, 2023, discussed the cross-border passenger service between Butterworth and Bangkok. The two countries plan to facilitate train operations for tourism and explore the feasibility of a joint ticketing system.
Acting Governor Jaray also mentioned that the double-track railway project between Hat Yai Junction and Padang Besar has been approved by the SRT Board. The project has requested funding for 2025. There are also plans to connect Su-ngai Kolok Station in Narathiwat with Lantupan Station in Kelantan, Malaysia, to enhance tourism and trade.
Currently, SRT operates 12 daily trains to and from Su-ngai Kolok Station. There are also plans to procure new rolling stock to replace old and outdated carriages to support the infrastructure of both countries in the future.
Mr. Jaray added that the double-track railway project between Hat Yai Junction and Su-ngai Kolok is in the budget allocation phase for mid-2024. The project includes preserving old Thai and Malaysian railways to facilitate passenger and cargo transport. The second phase of the double-track railway project aims to increase capacity and efficiency for passenger and freight transport, with an additional parallel track to the existing line, allowing for speeds of up to 160 km/h.
Surapong boasts! The era of SRT losses is over, with plans to increase revenue 10 times to 20 billion baht per year.
INN News August 2, 2024 - 12:39 PM
Bangkok - "Surapong" adjusts the plan to increase revenue for SRT, increasing the market share from 3%, which has only 2,000 million baht/year in revenue, to 30%, which will increase revenue to 22,000 million baht/year, along with upgrading commercial trains. While social services for low-income people, the state still takes full care of them.
On Wednesday (July 31, 2024), Mr. Surapong Piyachoti, Deputy Minister of Transport, met with members of the Thai Columnist and Radio and Television Program Host Club, led by Mr. Narong Pannok, President of the Columnist Club, and talked about the important mission of generating income for SRT. The target has been set for operating results or balance sheets to have no red numbers, or EBITDA must not be negative and must be positive, or profitable, in the following years. By adjusting the plan to increase revenue from direct business, which is freight transportation, increase market share from 3%, which has only 2,000 million baht/year in revenue, to 30%, which will increase revenue to 22,000 million baht/year.
"This is the homework of SRT. They have to find a way to reach the goals, both in terms of freight and passengers. They may find marketing professionals to help. Planning and building extension routes into various industrial estates that have a high demand for freight transportation is another channel to generate income for SRT," said the Deputy Minister of Transport.
Mr. Surapong also said that in terms of fares, SRT has not adjusted fares since 1995 or 29 years ago, which will divide passengers into 2 parts: social services for low-income people that the state must take care of, and commercial train services, 2nd and 3rd class, which are ready to buy tickets at higher prices, will allow for setting appropriate prices. In this matter, the Governor of SRT has to separate the data on the number of commercial passengers and tourist train passengers in order to formulate a plan that meets the needs of the passenger market.
Mr. Surapong also talked about the plan to improve Thai trains, saying that the SRT Royal Blossom luxury train has been prepared, which will open its first service on August 17, 2024, piloting the Bangkok-Kanchanaburi tourist route. It is a new Japanese-style train that the State Railway of Thailand has renovated after receiving it from Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), Japan, which has now been renovated in 5 out of 10 cars. It is designed specifically for travel, meticulously designed by Thai craftsmen. The interior is equipped with a full entertainment system for passengers to fully experience the atmosphere of the scenery on both sides. Stairs have been installed to accommodate high and low platforms and wheelchairs for people with disabilities according to the Universal standard.
As for the overall rail transportation, Mr. Surapong presented the progress of the Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed rail project (Phase 1 Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima), with a total distance of 250.77 kilometers. The overall construction progress has now reached over 33.48%, which has urged the State Railway of Thailand to expedite construction, including resolving various obstacles, such as the 2 contracts that are still stuck out of 14 contracts, consisting of 1. Contract 4-1 Bang Sue-Don Mueang, which is an area overlapping with the high-speed rail project connecting 3 airports, is in the process of amending the contract of the Eastern Special Development Zone Policy Committee (EEC Board) to be able to open the service on time according to the plan set within 2028.
As for the progress of the high-speed rail project, Phase 2 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai), with a distance of 356 kilometers and a budget of 330 billion baht, the design and modification have now been completed. It has now passed the consideration of the Board and the Expert Committee for Consideration of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIA), which has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. It is currently being prepared for submission to the Ministry of Transport. It is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet (Cabinet) for consideration within September this year and can be auctioned and the construction process can begin within 2024. It is expected to be ready for service in 2029.
The development of double-track railways has progressed in order, especially the double-track and new railway projects, which have been opened for service on several routes, namely the Chachoengsao Junction-Khlong Sip Kao-Kaeng Khoi section project, the Thanon Chira Junction-Khon Kaen section project. While the southern double-track railway, Nakhon Pathom-Chumphon section, can also be opened for service as planned on December 15, 2023, by opening the service between Ban Khu Bua Station, Ratchaburi Province, and Sapli Station, Chumphon Province, for a total distance of 348 kilometers.
After that, there are plans to open more double tracks between Phrong Maduea Station-Ban Khu Bua, a distance of 50 kilometers, and Sapli Station-north of Chumphon Station, a distance of 12.80 kilometers, which according to the plan will open double tracks along the entire route, Nakhon Pathom-Chumphon section, with a total distance of 420 kilometers, around August 2024.
In addition, at the end of 2024, the northeastern double-track railway will open for service, Ban Dai Ma-Khlong Khanan Chit section, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, a distance of 29.70 kilometers, where civil works construction has been completed, to help reduce travel time for people.
While the progress of the construction of 2 new double-track railway lines, namely Denchai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong line, has now progressed 9.695%, and the double-track railway project, Ban Phai-Mahasarakham-Roi Et-Mukdahan-Nakhon Phanom section, Contract 1 Ban Phai-Nong Phok, Contract 2 Nong Phok-Friendship Bridge 3, has progressed 2.578%, there are also 7 additional double-track railway construction projects in Phase 2 that are being prepared for further development, namely Khon Kaen-Nong Khai section, which is in the process of preparing for bidding for construction. While the Pak Nam Pho-Denchai section, Thanon Chira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani section, Chumphon-Surat Thani section, Surat Thani-Hat Yai Junction-Songkhla section, and Hat Yai Junction-Padang Besar section have been approved by the State Railway of Thailand Board. It is in the process of being submitted to the Ministry of Transport for approval from the Cabinet.
Double-track Northern Railway to Open Late This Year
Source - Daily News, Thursday, August 08, 2024 05:42
Lopburi-Pak Nam Pho Full 148km Line: Longest Elevated Railway in Thailand with Stunning Views
The "Daily News Transportation Innovation News Team" reports that the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has updated the overall construction progress of the Northern double-track railway project for the Lopburi-Pak Nam Pho section, spanning 148 kilometers (km) with a budget of 21.5 billion baht. The project is likely to be completed on schedule by the contract end date in September-October 2024, after SRT urged contractors to fully mobilize additional labor and machinery. This has allowed the construction, which was previously significantly behind schedule, to progress continuously, albeit still behind plan. The latest overall progress is 91.3%, about 7.9% behind schedule.
Contract 1, covering the 32 km Ban Klap-Khok Kathiam section with a budget of about 10 billion baht, is 94.11% complete, 5.45% behind schedule. The UNSH Joint Venture is the contractor, with work starting on June 15, 2018, and the contract ending on September 18, 2024.
Contract 2, covering the 116 km Tha Khae-Pak Nam Pho section with a budget of about 8.65 billion baht, is 88.56% complete, 10.49% behind schedule. Unique Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited is the contractor, with work starting on February 1, 2018, and the contract ending on October 19, 2024.
If not completed by the contract end date, contractors must pay SRT a daily fine of 0.1% of the construction cost, approximately 10 million baht per day for Contract 1 and 8 million baht per day for Contract 2.
Contract 3, for signaling and telecommunications systems with a budget of 2.77 billion baht, is 45.81% complete, 54.19% behind schedule, with the contract ending on July 28, 2025.
Currently, there are no major issues with the project's construction. Initial assessments suggest the work will be completed as planned, and the entire Lopburi-Pak Nam Pho double-track northern railway section is expected to open for service by the end of 2024. This is an improvement from earlier plans that anticipated opening only 40 km initially. However, the service will initially use the old signaling system while waiting for the new system installation to be completed. The new signaling system is expected to be operational by late 2025 or early 2026.
The current signaling system requires train drivers to manually exchange tokens at every station for safety and train management. The new system will use color lights and automatic computer-controlled signaling, enhancing railway travel safety.
For the Lopburi-Pak Nam Pho double-track northern railway, passenger numbers are expected to reach 33,880 per day in the first year of operation, increasing to 81,130 per day after 20 years. Freight transport is projected to be 25,910 tons per day in the opening year, rising to 60,430 tons per day after 20 years.
A highlight of the project is the elevated railway in Contract 1, stretching 19 km at a height of 10-20 meters. It starts from Ban Klap station in Saraburi province and begins to descend before reaching Khok Kathiam station in Lopburi province. This is the longest elevated railway in Thailand, offering passengers high-altitude views of beautiful landscapes and lush green fields.
Source: Daily News, August 9, 2024 edition (afternoon frame)
Mother's Day 2023: State Railway of Thailand to Open Southern Double-Track Railway from Nakhon Pathom to Chumphon on August 12th
Thansettakij
August 11, 2023 | 6:47 PM
On Mother's Day 2023, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is ready to open the 421-kilometer Southern Double-Track Railway from Nakhon Pathom to Chumphon for seamless travel, starting from August 12th. There are also updates on the construction of two new railway lines: Den Chai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong and Ban Phai - Mukdahan - Nakhon Phanom.
Mr. Ekrarat Sriarayanpong, Head of the Governor's Office of the State Railway of Thailand, revealed that, in accordance with the policy of Mr. Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport, the SRT has been instructed to expedite the construction of double-track and new railway lines throughout the country to complete them as planned.
This is to increase the efficiency of the rail transport system, making it the main transportation system of the country, and to facilitate the travel of people, as well as connect the transportation of goods in all regions.
Recently, the SRT has expedited the inspection of the readiness of the Southern Double-Track Railway construction project in the section between Nakhon Pathom Station and the passing loop, a distance of 1 kilometer, which has been completed. The inspection results were satisfactory.
The SRT is ready to open the Southern Double-Track Railway between Nakhon Pathom and Chumphon for seamless travel throughout the entire route, a total distance of 421 kilometers, on August 12, 2023, Mother's Day 2023.
As for the use of the electronic token system (E-token) for train operations during the installation of the signaling system, there has been progress of 61.323%. It is expected that the system will be fully operational within 2024, which will help reduce travel time for the public.
It can also connect with the transportation system, tourist routes of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon provinces, and other freight businesses.
The Southern Double-Track Railway project between Nakhon Pathom and Chumphon is considered an important route connecting travel to the south. It involves the construction of a new 1-meter gauge railway parallel to the existing railway.
Starting from Nakhon Pathom Station in Nakhon Pathom Province, it passes through Ratchaburi Province, Phetchaburi Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, and ends at Chumphon Station in Chumphon Province. It traverses the economic areas and tourist attractions of the lower central region, such as Cha-am and Hua Hin, and serves as a gateway to the south.
The structural design is mainly at-grade embankments and elevated railways through urban areas. There are two special landmark constructions: the new Hua Hin Station, a three-story elevated station with beautiful architecture that harmonizes with the original Hua Hin Station.
There is also the first Extradosed Railway Bridge in the country, built using modern construction techniques, avoiding the construction of pillars in the Mae Klong River, resulting in a unique and beautiful landmark that will become a new tourist attraction in Ratchaburi Province.
Mr. Ekrarat stated that in addition to the development of the southern railway line, the SRT is also in the process of constructing two new railway lines: Den Chai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong and Ban Phai - Mukdahan - Nakhon Phanom. The progress of these constructions is as follows:
1. New Railway Project Den Chai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong: Contract 1, Den Chai - Ngao section, 103 km, progress at 12.038%; Contract 2, Ngao - Chiang Rai section, 132 km, progress at 15.055%; and Contract 3, Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong section, 87 km, progress at 11.507%.
2. New Railway Project Ban Phai - Mahasarakham - Roi Et - Mukdahan - Nakhon Phanom: Contract 1, Ban Phai - Nong Phok section, 180 km, progress at 9.512%; Contract 2, Nong Phok - Friendship Bridge 3 section, 175 km, progress at 0.184%.
At the same time, there are additional 7 routes for the Phase 2 Double-Track Railway construction project: Khon Kaen - Nong Khai section, which is in the process of preparing bidding documents.
The sections Pak Nam Pho - Den Chai, Chumtang Thanon Chira - Ubon Ratchathani, Chumphon - Surat Thani, Surat Thani - Hat Yai Junction - Songkhla, and Hat Yai Junction - Padang Besar are in the process of preparing information for project approval.
For the Den Chai - Chiang Mai Double-Track Railway construction project, information has been prepared for project approval submission, and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being conducted.
Mr. Ekrarat concluded that once the construction of the 7 urgent double-track railway projects and the 2 new railway lines is completed, the SRT will have double-track railways covering more than 50 provinces nationwide, with a total double-track distance of over 2,370 kilometers by 2029.
This will help increase the proportion of double-track railways nationwide by up to 10 times, or 65% of the total distance, compared to the previous 6%. It can accommodate increased freight and passenger transportation, and also help shorten travel time by 1-1.50 hours.
Passengers can reach their destinations faster without having to wait for trains to pass each other, which will significantly reduce logistics costs. It will also increase safety and reduce the risk of accidents at level crossings between trains and cars.
Importantly, the double-track railway project will also help create growth for the country in many dimensions. It can distribute social opportunities, increase economic growth in both rural and urban areas, and seamlessly connect with neighboring countries.
The SRT is confident that this double-track railway development project will contribute to supporting the economic and tourism growth of the country, improving the quality of life for Thai people, and transforming the country's transportation system into a true ASEAN transportation hub.
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