BANGKOK — The State Railway of Thailand announced that within two to three months from now, there will be a train from Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Terminal to Penang in Malaysia.
On August 20, Mr. Ekkarat Sri-arayangpong, Chief of the Office of the Governor of the State Railway of Thailand, revealed this project has been confirmed by Mr. Awirut Thongnet, Deputy Governor of the State Railway of Thailand, when he attended the 42nd KTMB – SRT Joint Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia from August 13-16.
The purpose was to expand cooperation in connecting rail services between Thailand and Malaysia, facilitating travel for citizens, enabling seamless goods transportation between the two countries, and stimulating the economy and tourism as per the policy of Mr. Surapong Piyachot, Deputy Minister of Transport, and the government.
The meeting approved in principle the operation of a train from Bangkok Grand Station – Padang Besar – Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia, to connect Thai and Malaysian travelers seamlessly, which will also promote tourism and the economy of both countries.
Additionally, they agreed to extend the route of the MySawasdee tourist train from Malaysia to Thailand, from its current terminus at Hat Yai Junction Station to Surat Thani Station. This extension comes after the MySawasdee tourist train received an excellent response, with full passenger capacity on every trip.
This extension will further promote tourism and increase revenue for the country. Both agencies will discuss further details and appropriate timelines.
“After this, a joint working group will be established to consider the launch of the extended train service from Bangkok Central Station-Padang Besar to Butterworth Station. It’s expected to open within 2-3 months, with an initial 6-month trial period,” Mr. Ekkarat said.
He added that the meeting also discussed expanding cooperation in freight transport. The State Railway of Thailand is willing to support cross-border goods transport and routes in Thailand, such as Padang Besar – Hat Yai Junction, Hat Yai Junction – Bang Klam/Ban Thung Pho Junction/Kantang, and Padang Besar – Bangkok/Sapli/Na Pradu.
They also acknowledged the success of the ASEAN Express train service from Malaysia – Thailand – Laos – China and plan to increase its frequency from once a week to twice a week.
This meeting on rail transport cooperation between Thailand and Malaysia is considered a significant expansion that will help elevate rail travel between the two countries, enabling seamless connectivity. It will bring economic, trade, and tourism benefits to both countries and aligns with the government’s policy to drive Thailand to become a regional center for tourism and logistics in the future.
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