The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced the arrival of 17 second-hand passenger train carriages donated by Japan.
The Kira 193 carriages previously ran on Japan Railways’ Hokkaido line.
SRT Deputy Governor Siripong Prutipan said the carriages arrived in working order on Monday at Chonburi’s Laem Chabang port, and will be moved to Makkasan maintenance yard to undergo inspections.
SRT will spend about four months converting the carriages to make them compatible with Thailand’s one-meter gauge train tracks. Their engines and transmission will then be overhauled and their interiors refurbished.
The deputy governor said the process will take at least two years, with the carriages themselves to remain in service for another 50 years.
The carriages will be temporarily deployed on several routes including Udon Thani to Vientiane via Nong Khai, Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, and Bangkok to Suan Son Pradipat via Hua Hin. They will also be used for single-day trips to Bangkok’s neighboring provinces.
The carriages are the second batch to be donated by JR Hokkaido, with the first lot of 10 having previously run on Japan’s Hamanasu line. They were earmarked for use on routes between Lampang and Chiang Mai, as well as between Bangkok and Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok Noi waterfalls. (NNT)
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