Thailand
Thailand to Use Japanese Trains to Help Tourists Access Laos-China Railway
Thailand has received a fleet of secondhand diesel trains from Japan that will be used across four routes, including trips from Udon Thani to Vientiane Capital.
The 17 used KIHA 183 diesel trains were provided to Thailand free of charge after being retired from Japanese railways. Thailand has borne the cost of transporting the trains and adjusting the carriages to fit Thailand’s tracks, which will take approximately four months.
The trains remain in good condition, according to railway experts, and can be used for another 50 years, Channel One News reports.
The State Railway of Thailand plans to use the KIHA 183 trains on four routes, with the primary route assisting visitors from Thailand to reach Vientiane Capital.
It is expected that Thais and foreign tourists will want to travel on the Laos-China Railway, and will be able to reach Vientiane Capital by train from Udon Thani and Nong Khai provinces in Thailand.
While the existing Thai-Laos Rail Link does not connect directly with the Laos-China Railway, the line is being extended from its single station at Thannaleng Village to a new station at Khamsavath Village in Saysettha District. From here, passengers could disembark and take public transport to Vientiane Station in order to board the Laos-China Railway.
Thailand’s new diesel trains will also run from Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, from Bangkok to Hua Hin, and to other provinces in central areas periodically.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2021/12/16/thailand-to-use-japanese-trains-to-help-tourists-access-laos-china-railway/