Japan-donated trains in good condition: SRT

[webfact]

 

By Tanakorn Sangiam

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The State Railway of Thailand has stressed the used trains from Japan it is receiving as a donation are still in good condition. The state railway operator will need to pay for the transportation of the 17 train carriages at a cost of 42.5 million baht.

 

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced outcomes of the inspection of the 17 multiple unit diesel train carriages being donated by Japan, finding them all in good condition.

 

Japan’s rail operator JR Hokkaido is donating the train cars decommissioned since 2016 to Thailand, with the cost of transportation and refurbishment covered by the SRT.

 

Mr Aekkarat Sriarayanpong, the SRT’s Public Relations director, said today the SRT will conduct a safety inspection and refurbishment of these trains on their arrival, to make the trains suitable for operations in Thailand as tourism trains.

 

The SRT had earlier in October 2018 received 10 train cars from Japan. These carriages are also being refurbished to serve as a tourism train. The trains, expected to enter service next year, will include three regular passenger carriages, a family car, and a recreational car, with the livery reflecting areas the tourist train passes through.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-09-11

 

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[RichardColeman]

Looks like a train carriage used to carry the Japanese officials to sign surrender in WW2 seventy odd years ago ! Should be on Antique road show 

[Gold Star]

Japan realizes that Thailand has not had much improvement with railways since the last time they were here. Riding a train is like an offroad adventure.

Officials still think that trains here should run on batteries.

Thank you Japan for your generous charity handout.

[lodstewart]

makes me think of the quote in Belfast of the Titanic..........'well it was ok when it left here'

[ezzra]

Now when Japan is donating stuff to Thailand without expecting anything in return that i believe, China "donating" anything to Thailand, that has strings attached, thick long strings...

[rodknock]

lets see how long it takes to derail these cars and turn them into fire wood??

 

[Heng]

TH has always been a favorite for Japanese charity and development.    It's kind of how many households here view their Laotian maids.   

[jacko45k]

Diesel.... I thought we were moving away from such fuels. 

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, rodknock said:

lets see how long it takes to derail these cars and turn them into fire wood??

 

Unless someone remembers that Thailand and Japan (whilst both nominally "metre gauge") are not actually the same gauge they aren't going to get railed in the first place ???? 

 

Thailand is actually 1,000mm whereas Japan is Cape Gauge (1,067mm).

 

If you look at many of the (somewhat) preserved steam locos that were actually Japanese imports during the war they have been re-gauged by moving the wheel tyres inwards by an inch or so.

[Aussieroaming]

If the Thai Government cracked down on MP's and other people in power (RTP and military for example) corruptly bleeding the country dry, instead of turning a blind eye to the thievery the government would be able to buy new trains instead of begging for Jqpans old trains. But while the government is busy begging for free trains can I suggest that they also kiss someones a*rse in order to obtain some replacement buses for the BMA. A majority of the diesel belching buses are about 40 years past their use by date. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Looks like a train carriage used to carry the Japanese officials to sign surrender in WW2 seventy odd years ago ! Should be on Antique road show 

Still better than anything Thailands got.

[hotchilli]

17 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Diesel.... I thought we were moving away from such fuels. 

Not if it's free.

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Now when Japan is donating stuff to Thailand without expecting anything in return that i believe, China "donating" anything to Thailand, that has strings attached, thick long strings...

Its saved them having to pay a salvager to remove and dispose of the old carriages. Nice deal...

[kotsak]

Will it run cross river Kwai?

Edited September 11, 2021 by kotsak

[JoePai]

39 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Diesel.... I thought we were moving away from such fuels. 

Only the civilised world

[phetphet]

I think they look quite nice in the  photo. But I wouldn't like to be sitting in any of those seats if it had to break sharply. Would slide from one end of the carriage to the other.

[IAMHERE]

Since 2018 and still fixing up the 10 train cars donated? And that photo no doubt is the one in best shape. I'm gonna figure that someone important owns a train reconditioning business.

[Pravda]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Looks like a train carriage used to carry the Japanese officials to sign surrender in WW2 seventy odd years ago ! Should be on Antique road show 

 

Really?

 

Ever travelled by train in Thailand before they bought a few new train carriages from China? The one thing I find sad that the donated trains will not look like anything resembling the picture after the famous Thai maintenance gets involved.

[carlyai]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Unless someone remembers that Thailand and Japan (whilst both nominally "metre gauge") are not actually the same gauge they aren't going to get railed in the first place ???? 

 

Thailand is actually 1,000mm whereas Japan is Cape Gauge (1,067mm).

 

If you look at many of the (somewhat) preserved steam locos that were actually Japanese imports during the war they have been re-gauged by moving the wheel tyres inwards by an inch or so.

Great for tourists (and me) if they got the Burma railway thru Hellfire Pass up and running and used this rolling stock. Now that would be a train freaks adventure. Can't wait.

Thai government always thinking ahead. ????

Still thinking about the Beijing to Russia and Beijing to Tibet train trips I didn't do.

[kwonitoy]

3 hours ago, kotsak said:

Will it run cross river Kwai?

I think the bridge is closed

[kwonitoy]

6 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Great for tourists (and me) if they got the Burma railway thru Hellfire Pass up and running and used this rolling stock. Now that would be a train freaks adventure. Can't wait.

Thai government always thinking ahead. ????

Still thinking about the Beijing to Russia and Beijing to Tibet train trips I didn't do.

They do have a steam powered train with old stock running from Kanchanaburi to Sai Yok where it is turned around and you come back. It's a great day out. Other than that the railway bed exists in places but the track is all gone.

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Diesel.... I thought we were moving away from such fuels. 

No but Japan is?

[rbkk]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Unless someone remembers that Thailand and Japan (whilst both nominally "metre gauge") are not actually the same gauge they aren't going to get railed in the first place ???? 

 

Thailand is actually 1,000mm whereas Japan is Cape Gauge (1,067mm).

 

If you look at many of the (somewhat) preserved steam locos that were actually Japanese imports during the war they have been re-gauged by moving the wheel tyres inwards by an inch or so.

Perhaps that's why the refurbishment of the first donation that began in October 2018 is still not complete!

[mikebell]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The state railway operator will need to pay for the transportation of the 17 train carriages at a cost of 42.5 million baht.

Check out the (new) shareholders of the designated haulage company.

[brianthainess]

2.5 million baht per carriage 77k USD for shipping??? is that COD ?

[brianthainess]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Unless someone remembers that Thailand and Japan (whilst both nominally "metre gauge") are not actually the same gauge they aren't going to get railed in the first place ???? 

 

Thailand is actually 1,000mm whereas Japan is Cape Gauge (1,067mm).

 

If you look at many of the (somewhat) preserved steam locos that were actually Japanese imports during the war they have been re-gauged by moving the wheel tyres inwards by an inch or so.

As the OZYs would say "She'll be right mate, no worries" or " If at first you don't succeed give up, go home and have a coldy (beer) "

[digger70]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Diesel.... I thought we were moving away from such fuels. 

They aren't Loco's they are carriages. 

I would think they can hook them up to an Electric Loco as the carriages haven't got self propulsion.

[Moonlover]

16 minutes ago, digger70 said:

They aren't Loco's they are carriages. 

I would think they can hook them up to an Electric Loco as the carriages haven't got self propulsion.

 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced outcomes of the inspection of the 17 multiple unit diesel train carriages being donated by Japan, finding them all in good condition.

 

[robblok]

38 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

2.5 million baht per carriage 77k USD for shipping??? is that COD ?

I really can't make a comment on this but does anyone actually know real costs of something like this. I mean a train carriage obviously does not fit into a shipping container. So its odd size makes it a bit hard to transport. Before i cry corruption and so on id love to hear from some people in the know in the transport sector. If this includes some taxes too then maybe its a fair price. I have no clue but I doubt anyone has an idea about the real price.

 

I did find Crossy his remark useful about the fact that all trains need new wheels for the different gauge. I mean just imagine them being imported and then turning to dust because nobody wants to pay for that.

[digger70]

7 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced outcomes of the inspection of the 17 multiple unit diesel train carriages being donated by Japan, finding them all in good condition.

Like I said they are Carriages Not Loco's .

One can tow them with ones Ute if you like .

Edited September 11, 2021 by digger70