Dual-Track Railway Challenges: Delays and Upgrades Amid Minister’s Inspection

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In a recent development, Mr. Suraphong Piyachote, the Minister of Transport, conducted on-site inspections last week to evaluate the operational efficiency of the newly inaugurated dual-track railway spanning from Ban Kubua Station in Ratchaburi province to Sapli Station in Chumphon province, covering an extensive distance of 348 kilometers. The visit aimed to scrutinize the initial implementation of the revamped timetable accommodating 60 train services.

 

Challenges have emerged for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) in adhering to the new timetable. Initial findings indicate that while the dual-track operation has marginally reduced travel time by approximately one hour, it falls short of the targeted 1.5-hour reduction. Although deemed faster than the previous system, certain trains in the initial phase experienced delays, deviating from the newly established schedule. Notably, delays occurred in the vicinity of Sapli in the Pato district of Chumphon, a bottleneck where trains from both directions converge. This led to additional wait times and necessitated staff changes for locomotive drivers during a 10-minute pause. Besides the essential driver switch, activities such as refueling and replenishing water for the train and its accompanying vehicles also took place.

 

The completion of the two missing links, Nakhon Pathom Station to Ban Khu Bua Station (58 km) and Saphli Station to Chumphon Station (14 km), is anticipated by April 2024. Once finalized, this dual-track project will render the 420 km route from Nakhon Pathom to Chumphon more reliable and faster than its previous configuration.

 

As a response to the delays, the SRT is considering adjustments to the Southern Line timetables in the coming weeks.

 

By Editorial Staff
Photos Courtesy : ข่าวนวัตกรรมขนส่งเดลินิวส์-Dailynews

 

Full story: Hua Hin Locality Guide 2023-12-20

 

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[PETERTHEEATER]

Why am I not surprised.....The bottlenecks were always going to be a problem, one line into two and two lines into one. 🙄

[digbeth]

could do with more rolling stock and more services