Bangkok-Vientiane rail adds carriage to match 13,000+ passengers

More than 13,000 passengers have utilised the cross-border service of the Bangkok-Vientiane rail route since its inauguration on July 19, leading the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to add another passenger carriage to meet the increased demand.

Governor of the SRT, Veeris Ammarapala announced yesterday, October 20, that he had recently met with Daochinda Siharat, Lao National Railway State Enterprise chief. This meeting followed the signing of a technical implementation memorandum for freight transport on Friday, aiming to expand cross-border transport capacity and accommodate more passengers.

Veeris highlighted that both parties have successfully managed international freight trains to achieve the goal of 14 round trips per day and are now considering increasing that number.

To address the rising passenger demand for the Bangkok-Vientiane rail, an additional air-conditioned carriage with sleeping beds will be added to the service. Since its launch in July, the service has seen over 13,000 travellers.

SRT plans to provide decommissioned carriages to Lao Railway for renovation, which will then be used for transporting goods between Thanaleng Station in Vientiane’s Hadxayfong district and Nong Khai Station in Thailand. Veeris sees this as an important move in the development of rail transport among ASEAN nations.

“This is an important step in fostering ties between the nations, which will help support the development of rail transport in the ASEAN region and enhance the network’s potential to establish Thailand as the region’s rail transport hub.”

The cross-border train service departs from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station at 9.25pm and arrives at Vientiane (Khamsavath) Station in Laos at 9.05am daily.

Additionally, SRT offers a route from Udon Thani to Vientiane, as well as a service connecting those already in the border province of Nong Khai to Vientiane, situated approximately 19 kilometres away.

Vientiane (Khamsavath) Station is about 16 kilometres from Vientiane Train Station, where passengers can access the high-speed China-Laos railway to travel to other provinces in Laos or to China, reported Bangkok Post.