Songkran crowds push Bangkok rail use up 11% as Silom hits peak

Bangkok’s rail network recorded a sharp surge in passenger numbers during the Songkran peak, with ridership rising more than 11% year on year as crowds flocked to key celebration hotspots across the capital. 

Pichet Kunadhamraks, Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport, said data for Tuesday (April 14) showed that both residents and tourists continued to rely heavily on urban rail services to travel to festival venues.

At the same time, interprovincial travel patterns began shifting, with increasing numbers of people gradually returning to Bangkok to avoid congestion on the final day of the holiday. This pushed total rail journeys to 1.21 million passenger trips, around 13.42% above projections.

Urban rail packed as Silom leads Songkran hotspots

Urban rail systems accounted for 1.12 million passenger trips, exceeding forecasts by 14.96%, with stations crowded by people heading to major Songkran locations. 

Silom Road emerged as the standout hotspot, drawing 252,265 visitors on April 14 alone, with a three-day cumulative total exceeding 652,000. After festivities ended, large numbers of revellers flowed back into the rail system, causing particularly heavy congestion at Sala Daeng and Si Lom stations.

Riverside destinations such as IconSiam also saw strong turnout, pushing the Gold Line’s ridership to 59.03% above expectations. Overall, urban rail usage increased across all lines, rising 11.21% compared with the same day last year.

• Green Line: 592,684 trips (up 13.98% above forecast and up 8% year on year), remaining the busiest route linking Siam Square and Silom.
   
• Blue Line: 318,349 trips (up 17.65% above forecast and up 14.47% year on year), serving key connections to Silom and Sam Yan.
   
• Airport Rail Link: 56,694 trips (up 14.73% above forecast and up 5.77% year on year).
   
• Yellow Line: 42,874 trips (up 25.62% above forecast and up 28.17% year on year).
   
• Pink Line: 39,378 trips (down 2.99% below forecast but up 20.20% year on year).
   
• Purple Line: 33,003 trips (up 4.32% above forecast and up 4.42% year on year).
   
• Red Line: 26,005 trips (up 13.34% above forecast and up 13.36% year on year).
   
• Gold Line: 19,083 trips (up 59.03% above forecast and up 28.17% year on year), the fastest-growing route due to strong demand from IconSiam.

Return travel begins as intercity demand shifts

Intercity rail services showed a clear transition into return travel mode, with people from regional areas beginning their journeys back to Bangkok in preparation for the end of the holiday.

Total intercity ridership reached 86,424 passenger trips, slightly below projections by 3.47%. Of these, 45,397 were inbound passengers and 41,027 outbound. 

• Southern Line: 30,018 passenger trips (15,547 inbound / 14,471 outbound), with 63 train services in operation
   
• Northeastern Line: 22,284 passenger trips (12,235 inbound / 10,049 outbound), with 47 train services
   
• Northern Line: 15,128 passenger trips (7,779 inbound / 7,349 outbound), with 33 train services
   
• Mahachai and Maeklong Lines: 10,182 passenger trips (5,025 inbound / 5,157 outbound), with 42 train services
   
• Eastern Line: 8,812 passenger trips (4,811 inbound / 4,001 outbound), with 22 train services

While most services operated smoothly, authorities reported isolated incidents, including livestock on tracks causing delays and a motorcycle collision with a railway barrier.

Officials urged motorists to exercise extreme caution at rail crossings and strictly avoid bypassing or damaging barriers. Farmers with livestock near railways were also advised to strengthen supervision to prevent animals from straying onto tracks.

Final holiday rush expected to peak on April 15

Pichet said Wednesday (April 15), the final public holiday of Songkran, is expected to see the highest volume of return travel into Bangkok and surrounding areas. To cope with demand, the State Railway of Thailand has added extra carriages and four special train services:

• Train 973 from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Nakhon Ratchasima departs at 9.20am
• Train 974 from Nakhon Ratchasima to Krung Thep Aphiwat departs at 3.10pm
• Train 984 from Yala to Krung Thep Aphiwat departs at 3.35pm
• Train 6 from Chiang Mai to Krung Thep Aphiwat departs at 7.35pm

Additional safety measures have also been introduced, including increased onboard patrols and emergency response readiness. Passengers can contact railway staff or call the 24-hour hotline 1690 for assistance.

Medical coordination has been strengthened with emergency services (1669), ensuring ambulances are on standby at destination stations for rapid patient transfer if needed.

Crowd control stepped up for final Songkran celebrations

Authorities expect another wave of large crowds on the final day of Songkran, particularly at major celebration sites including Siam Square, One Bangkok, IconSiam and riverside Water Festival venues.

Operators have been instructed to enforce strict crowd control measures at stations near event areas to ensure passenger safety and manage peak-hour flows efficiently.