## Bangkok Residents Eagerly Await KIHA 40 and KIHA 48 Suburban Trains Connecting to Greater Bangkok
Manager Online, June 15, 2025, 2:41 PM
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is preparing to launch the KIHA 40/48 air-conditioned passenger trains from Japan, aiming to connect travel between Bangkok and its surrounding areas.
Today (June 15), the "SRT Public Relations Team" Facebook page released a promotional image with the caption: "SRT elevates suburban travel, preparing to launch air-conditioned KIHA 40/48 trains to enhance convenience, safety, and seamless connectivity between Bangkok and its vicinity." The post stated that the KIHA 40 and KIHA 48 diesel railcars, which are air-conditioned, have undergone testing and improvements and are ready for service by the end of this year. Their features include comfortable seating (both long bench and transverse styles), clean standard restrooms, and air-conditioned carriages. They promise fast, seamless travel between Bangkok and its periphery, offering an economical, convenient, and highly safe public transportation option.
The SRT received 9 KIHA 40 and 11 KIHA 48 train cars from JR EAST, Japan, in 2024. The prototype cars' wheel axle size was then adjusted from 1.067 meters to 1 meter to match Thailand's railway gauge standard. Following this, the trains were refurbished to SRT standards. Recently, on June 6, two of the air-conditioned KIHA 40 and KIHA 48 diesel railcars, which had been fully refurbished, underwent testing on the Makkasan-Hua Mak route. After this, further exterior repainting and restroom improvements will be carried out before six cars are put into service for the public by late 2025. Refurbishment will continue gradually until all 20 cars are completed.
The SRT plans to operate the KIHA 40 and KIHA 48 trains on suburban (FEEDER) routes to destinations such as Chachoengsao Junction Station in Chachoengsao Province, Ayutthaya Station in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, and Nakhon Pathom Station in Nakhon Pathom Province. This aims to connect with Bangkok's electric railway network, including the Red Line suburban railway and the Airport Rail Link.
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