SRT steaming ahead with deal for 2nd-hand Japanese carriages despite criticism
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday responded to criticism of its deal to procure 17 second-hand passenger cars from Japan.
The SRT said the JR Hokkaido Company had agreed to hand the used diesel carriages to Thailand free of charge if the SRT paid the shipment costs.
An initial inspection showed the carriages were in good condition despite being retired in 2016, as they had been well maintained, the SRT said. The carriages would undergo a safety inspection after being shipped from the West Japan Railway Co (JR-West), it added.
They will then be refurbished as specialist carriages, including SRT Prestige cars and air-conditioned meeting rooms on wheels, the SRT said.
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