The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will buy 100 new locomotives over the next 30 months to increase its passenger and cargo handling capacity by 3-4 times, according to acting governor Prasert Attanant.
SRT staff pose for photographs at a ceremony to take delivery of new locomotives in Chon Buri on Friday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiartpakun)
The state enterprise would order 20 locomotives this year, followed by 50 next year and 30 in 2017, he said on Friday.
"If the plan is realised, the number of passengers and amount of cargo that the SRT will transport will certainly increase by 3-4 times," Mr Prasert said.
The SRT on Friday took delivery of the first two of 20 Chinese-made locomotives worth 3.3 billion baht. The other 18 will be delivered by May.
Attending the acceptance ceremony at the Si Racha train station in Chon Buri, Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said the new locomotives used 15% less fuel than older models. As well, he said, they could pull 40 cars instead of 30, and travel at up to 100 kilometres an hour, making the rail operator more competitive.
The two new locomotives supplied by CSR Qishuyan Co will be used to haul cargo trains between the SRT's container depot in Lat Krabang district of Bangkok and the Laem Chabang commercial port in Chon Buri.
Mr Prasert said the 20 new locomotives would raise the SRT increase its cargo transport revenue by 30% from 2.5 billion baht per year at present.