New freight cars double SRT's carrying capacity

New freight cars double SRT's carrying capacity

New flatbed freight cars from China being landed at Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri province on Wednesday. (Photo from the State Railway of Thailand).
New flatbed freight cars from China being landed at Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri province on Wednesday. (Photo from the State Railway of Thailand).

The State Railway of Thailand is taking delivery of 308 new freight wagons made in China, allowing it to double its cargo handling capacity.

SRT governor Wuthichart Kalyanamitra said on Wednesday the new wagons had been bought from Siam Bogie Co, which won the supply tender in 2012 and had them built by China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation. The cost was 723 million baht

The first 150 arrived at Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri province on Tuesday, he said. The remaining 158 would be gradually delivered before the end of September.

The SRT plans to use the new freight wagons between its container depot in Bangkok's Lat Krabang district and Laem Chabang port in the East. The new cars have a weight-bearing capacity of 20 tonnes per axle, which would enable the SRT to double its freight service from 7 million tonnes to 15 million tonnes annually, Mr Wuthichart said.

"They will help increase income from rail freight, which today accounts for only 3% of total cargo transported in the country," he said.

The SRT has 284 old freight cars at Lat Krabang container depot.

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