New diesel-electric locomotives arrive to boost Thailand’s train service
Thailand took delivery of 20 Chinese diesel-electric locomotives on Friday in the first move to replace its ageing fleet.
The first 20 locomotives among a batch of 50 ordered from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Qishuyan Ltd were shipped to Sriracha Train Yard in Chonburi and received by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
The new locomotives will replace old engines that have been in service for almost 50 years.
The locomotives were imported by SFR Consortium, which won the contract with a bid of 6.52 billion baht in August 2020. The remaining 30 locomotives along with spare parts must be delivered before February 2023, according to the contract.
“The new diesel-electric locomotives use German-made engines and have an axel load of 16 tonnes, one tonne higher than the diesel electric locomotives currently used in Thailand,” said SRT governor Nirut Maneephan on Friday. “This will help boost SRT’s efficiency in terms of train service quality, reliability and safety.”
Nirut added that the new locomotives have a maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour while hauling passenger cars and 70kph for cargo. They come equipped with an ATP [Automatic Train Protection] brake system and CCTV cameras, have low emission rates and are compatible European Train Control System (ETCS) level 1.