The Thai State Railway (SRT) is changing course and intends to move the 200-kilometer distance between its locomotive maintenance and production facilities and Bangkok. The SRT relocation move is motivated by the impending transformation of their current location in Makkasan into an active, mixed-use area that will house a public park, an SRT historical exhibit, and a city station that supports the high-speed rail services connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports.
Prior to this, in June 2021, the SRT paid the KUSIP joint venture 210 million baht to help them conceptualize and plan the SRT relocation. Utility Design Consultant, See Consult Engineering, Infra Group, and Pro Concept Engineering are part of the joint venture, which is led by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. For a total of 600 days, the assembly is expected to work on the project.
The KUSIP venture has chosen two probable locations for the shift, according to Nirut Maneephan, the head of SRT. The first choice is a 454-rai landholding at Chon Buri’s Khao Chi Chan Junction station in the Sattahip district. The second location is a smaller, 240-rai site that is situated at Suphan Buri station in the Muang district.
The Chon Buri area would cost 8.2 billion baht to develop, whereas Suphan Buri would only cost 8.1 billion baht. The SRT board has not yet approved any location, though.In response to the board’s worries, Nirut said that they need thorough information that takes into account local perceptions of the center’s location, the estimated cost of relocating SRT employees, and the site’s potential for commercial interests.
The board stated a wish to use the new location as a maintenance depot in addition to the previous spot. The board also made a point of favoring sites that were at least 200 rai in size and located less than 200 kilometers from the capital. Nirut talked about expanding the range of options by taking into account the SRT land at Chong Kae Station in Takhli district’s Nakhon Sawan and Lam Narai Station in Chai Badan district’s Lop Buri.
