Headline: SRT-RRIT Join Forces to Develop Rail Transport; Aim to Transform 3rd-Class Trains to Air-Conditioned, Starting in 2026
Date: March 14, 2025, 6:30 PM
Main Body:
Mr. Chayatham Phromsorn, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mr. Wirit Amrapal, Governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and Mr. Chulthep Kajornchaikul, Director of the Rail Research and Development Institute (Public Organization) (RRIT). This collaboration aims to develop three key areas:
Human Resource Development: Producing and developing highly skilled personnel to align with the direction of the rail industry.
Technology and Innovation Development: Focusing on advancements in rail technology.
Development of the National Rail Industry: Increasing rail freight volume, reducing reliance on imports, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Thai rail industry and transport sector.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport stated that the government has key policies and strategies to develop the rail system to reduce logistics costs and increase the country's competitive potential. This involves investments of hundreds of billions of baht to develop a double-track railway system spanning over 300 km, scheduled for completion in 2025. Concurrently, there's a need to procure locomotives and rolling stock to provide a complete transport system.
However, because Thailand still relies on importing locomotives and passenger cars, costs are high, and future maintenance poses challenges. Therefore, RRIT was established as a key organization to facilitate technology transfer from foreign countries, bringing this knowledge to both government and private sector entities in Thailand. Following this, RRIT will sign cooperation agreements with the Ministry of Industry and the private sector to further develop locomotive manufacturing.
Mr. Wirit Amrapal, Governor of the SRT, said that the SRT and RRIT have been working together for some time, with the shared goal of developing and producing prototype locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars, including parts and equipment, to support efficient rail transport. This includes upgrading the quality and standards of air-conditioned 3rd-class passenger carriages for improved comfort and modernity, as well as developing prototype tourist carriages to promote rail tourism.
Currently, the SRT plans to renovate 40 third-class (fan-cooled) carriages in the fiscal year 2025, with a budget of 295.60 million baht (approximately 7.45 million baht per carriage). This cost covers upgrading seats, installing air conditioning, upgrading to closed-system toilets, and changing the power source to a Power Car system to supply electricity to the air-conditioned carriages, replacing engine power. This will be done through research, and tested. This process, after undergoing research and testing, will result in lighter train cars and long-term cost savings. Currently, the project is in the process of drafting the Terms of Reference (TOR) and setting the median price. The SRT will need to assess whether the prototype model presented by RRIT falls within the budget and median price.
"The proposal has been submitted to the procurement department to proceed according to government procurement and management regulations, using an e-bidding process. It is expected that the invitation to bid will be published and the bidding process will open around June-August 2025. The contractor will be selected, and the contract signed around December 2025. Renovations will begin in early 2026, with each carriage taking about 3 months to complete. The first carriage is expected to be finished and gradually put into service by mid-2026. This will require removing carriages from service on various routes for the renovation process, which must be done without impacting public service," said Mr. Wirit.
Subsequently, in 2026, another 50 carriages will be renovated (originally, the plan was for 90 carriages). The SRT has approximately 500 carriages for social service, or fan-cooled carriages, with a service life of 30-60 years (average age of 37 years). The renovation will prioritize carriages in good condition, with shorter remaining service life, and suitable for use on the new railway tracks with a maximum speed of 120 km/h. Therefore, some carriages may need to be decommissioned.
Mr. Wirit stated that currently, the railway has approximately 32 million passengers per year, with 3rd-class (fan-cooled) passengers accounting for 60% of the total. Approximately 100 social service trains are operated per day. In the past, fares were collected below cost, and subsidies for social services were requested from the government. However, the annual budget received was not equal to the amount requested, leading to accumulated debt.
The government believes that passenger usage of social service trains is lower than the capacity, while the trains must run daily, resulting in continuous cost losses. Therefore, it is believed that when the fan-cooled trains are converted to air-conditioned trains, providing equal service to all passengers, the fare structure will be adjusted according to the railway's rehabilitation plan.
"The SRT will propose a service approach. Previously, fan-cooled trains were designated as Public Service Obligation (PSO) trains. In the future, there will be no more fan-cooled trains. All passengers will receive equal service on air-conditioned trains. For the increased fares, there will be welfare cards to assist. We will request an expansion of government subsidies to include the elderly, students, and other groups to provide broader coverage. Therefore, the fare adjustment will not affect low-income individuals," the SRT Governor stated.
Mr. Chulthep Kajornchaikul, Director of RRIT, said that according to the concept, a prototype air-conditioned train will be developed. Information gathered from user feedback on desired carriage features will be used in the design, and safety testing will be conducted. The prototype air-conditioned carriage is expected to be completed by the end of the year. This will be expanded and lead to the development of designing, and making the locomotives, and the trains. This will expand to the development, design, and production of locomotives and entire train sets, involving the entire supply chain of the industrial sector. This is because once the double-track railway system is completed nationwide, there will be a need for additional train sets and locomotives to meet the increasing demand for rail transport.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
