Tip from Transcontinental Gravy Trains

' remember to put plenty of grease on the old buffers'

SRT could not manage a PU at a B

All too busy counting their rental monies than to worry about the rail system.

It would have to be the most corrupt, lazy, useless govenment department in the country.

They should have had this all planned 40 years ago

"Or feeding freight bound for Malaysia & Singapore into the expanded double-track metre-gauge line running South to Padang Besar, giving China further access, to new countries & ports. But doing it in a less-splashy less-expensive way, to improve the odds on it actually happening."

Yes the Malays were not playing with China and their Super Railway . They Just installed 350KM of 1 metre gauge right up Pedang Basar from Ipoh

"Or feeding freight bound for Malaysia & Singapore into the expanded double-track metre-gauge line running South to Padang Besar, giving China further access, to new countries & ports. But doing it in a less-splashy less-expensive way, to improve the odds on it actually happening."

Yes the Malays were not playing with China and their Super Railway . They Just installed 350KM of 1 metre gauge right up Pedang Basar from Ipoh

So the Thai's can build a line down to their "new southern deep sea port", or across to Dawei, and leave the Malaysians out of it. The Chinese just want to get across to the Indian Ocean.

"Or feeding freight bound for Malaysia & Singapore into the expanded double-track metre-gauge line running South to Padang Besar, giving China further access, to new countries & ports. But doing it in a less-splashy less-expensive way, to improve the odds on it actually happening."

Yes the Malays were not playing with China and their Super Railway . They Just installed 350KM of 1 metre gauge right up Pedang Basar from Ipoh

So the Thai's can build a line down to their "new southern deep sea port", or across to Dawei, and leave the Malaysians out of it. The Chinese just want to get across to the Indian Ocean.

I suppose so , Bangkok -Pednag Basar has not been awarded yet. My guess would be it will remain 1 Metre Gauge. Actually the Malays told China to do one

Building these tracks is a step in the right direction, but it's just a step. Even if the tracks are built and there are engines and cars running on it, how will the truck owners and logistic business people be convinced to scrap their trucks and ship their cargo by train?

They are not simply going to disappear. Will the government put a heavy tax on truck operators to "encourage" a switch to the train?

And when the freight trains have reached their destination, how will the freight be distributed? Trucks again?

There are still a lot of problems to solve. To don't open the Champagne just now.

Economics will take care of everything nicely. It costs four times as much to ship by truck so there will be trucking business only where there is no train service. Trucking companies that can't adjust/downsize, will go out of business. The hardest part for the government is not to cave to the trucking lobby and subsidize them.

Perhaps very good time to start a trucking company. The Teamsters know the value of trucking so I am sure some alert Thais will also. The trucking part can definitely be ruled by Thais.