Thai Railways to Upgrade 130 Third-Class Fan Cars to Air-Conditioned Cars

In a significant move to enhance passenger comfort, Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Surapong Piyachote, announced that the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will upgrade 130 third-class fan-cooled carriages to air-conditioned units. The project, estimated at 6 million baht per carriage, totals approximately 780 million baht.

The upgrade aims to improve service quality and accessibility for the public, with the initiative divided into two phases. Phase one will see 40 carriages upgraded by 2025, costing 240 million baht, and expected to be operational by 2026. Phase two will upgrade 90 carriages by 2026, costing 540 million baht, to be completed by 2027.

Currently, SRT operates around 300-400 third-class carriages. Mr. Surapong noted that the rail service, which offers 35 million seats across two service types, is often oversubscribed. Long-distance trains provide about 9 million seats, with actual demand at approximately 18 million. Local trains, designed for broader accessibility, offer 26 million seats but cater to around 18.6 million passengers.

The upgraded 130 carriages will transition from local service to long-distance service, adding 3.2 million seats to the long-distance service pool, thereby increasing capacity to 12.2 million seats.

Mr. Surapong acknowledged that the transition to air-conditioned carriages would result in higher fares. Current third-class fan-cooled fares are 0.215 baht per kilometer for distances up to 100 km, while first-class air-conditioned fares are 0.932 baht per kilometer, and second-class air-conditioned fares are 0.488 baht per kilometer, with reduced rates for distances beyond 120 km.

The Deputy Minister expressed concern for vulnerable passenger groups who may be adversely affected by the fare increase. The government and SRT are exploring additional measures beyond the existing state welfare card benefits to ensure these groups can access the improved services.

Emphasizing the importance of service continuity, Mr. Surapong instructed SRT to maintain adequate service levels during the upgrade process.

✅ SOURCE: โละพัดลมรถไฟชั้น 3 “ติดแอร์” ลอตแรก 130 คัน จ่ายค่าโดยสารแพงขึ้น 8 บาท | เดลินิวส์ https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/3615958/