Govt denies June 1 cuts to social trains amid public concern

The government has denied rumours that the State Railway of Thailand will cancel or reduce social-service train operations from June 1, saying all routes will continue running under their normal timetables.

Ploythale Laksamisangchan, deputy spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the SRT had confirmed that no social-service train services would be cancelled or shortened on June 1, despite an internal memo circulating widely on social media.

The document had referred to a proposal to suspend 30 social-service train services and shorten the routes of another 16, triggering concern among commuters, students and low-income passengers who rely on the railway network.

The Public Relations Department also reported that the government had asked the public not to share the document further, saying it could create unnecessary confusion.

SRT says leaked document was only an internal memo

Ploythale said the image shared online was only an internal SRT document seeking approval in principle within the administrative chain of command.

She stressed that the document had not been approved for public release and did not mean the proposed changes would take effect.

“The State Railway of Thailand has clarified that on June 1, 2026, there will be no cancellation or reduction of any social-service train services. People can continue travelling on all routes according to the normal timetable,” she said.

Social trains seen as public transport lifeline

Social-service trains are low-cost ordinary and suburban train services operated by the SRT to support the public, especially low-income passengers.

They usually stop at every station and halt along their routes, making them an important daily transport option for people outside major city centres, as well as pupils and students travelling to school.

Ploythale said the government, the Transport Ministry and the SRT recognised that these trains were a key public transport lifeline.

She said any future adjustment would have to be considered carefully, with proper screening and public feedback.

No sudden cancellations, govt says

The SRT insisted there would be no abrupt cancellation of services, and no changes would be made without alternative public transport being available to reduce the impact on passengers.

The government also urged people to check train timetables through official SRT channels, including the SRT website, the passenger train-tracking system, the SRT public relations Facebook page and the 1690 call centre.

Govt urges public to rely on official updates

Against this backdrop, the government said unverified information about train-service cuts could deepen public anxiety.

It asked the public to avoid forwarding the leaked memo and to monitor official announcements before making travel plans.

Passengers can check official railway information through the SRT website, the SRT train-tracking system, the “PR Team SRT” Facebook page, or the 1690 call centre, which operates around the clock.