BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s first domestically developed passenger railcar has been officially handed over to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), moving locally developed research into practical use. The ceremony at Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) was witnessed recently by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yodchanan Wongsawat and Prof. Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, chairman of the Council of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). SRT Governor Anan Phonimdaeng formally received the prototype.
Developed by KMITL in partnership with Sinogen Pinpetch Joint Venture Co., Ltd., the 25-seat luxury class passenger coach is 22 percent lighter than comparable conventional railcars, has a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour, has completed more than 10,000 kilometers of testing, contains 44.1 percent locally produced components, and is expected to reduce production costs by about 30 percent compared with imported coaches. The SRT will continue testing the prototype with KMITL and its partners before introducing it on tourism routes ranging from 200 to 500 kilometers. Following the handover ceremony, Yodchanan and the delegation boarded the railcar for its inaugural ceremonial journey from Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) to Phra Chom Klao railway halt. (NNT)
