Train travel between Bangkok and Butterworth to resume

Thailand and Malaysia are planning to revive the rail route between Bangkok and  Butterworth in Penang state to ensure seamless travel between the two countries, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken last week when SRT deputy governor Awirut Thongnet and his team attended the joint conference with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) in Kota Kinabalu.

Ekarat Sriarayanphong, head of the SRT Governor’s Office, said SRT and KTMB have agreed to establish a working team for the Bangkok-Butterworth route for an initial trial run of six months.

“This move aims to seamlessly connect travel for both Thais and Malaysians, which will benefit tourism and the economies of the two countries,” he said.

SRT and KTMB also agreed to extend the route of the Malaysian tourism train “My Sawasdee” to Surat Thani province. This currently terminates at Hat Yai station in Songkhla province.

My Sawasdee has received a good response from Malaysian travellers with all trips fully booked, so the extension will help promote tourism and generate more revenue for Thailand, he said.

Ekarat said SRT and KTMB have discussed extending rail freight transport, with SRT facilitating transport to Pattani, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Chumphon and Bangkok. The two sides also acknowledged the success of the ASEAN Express freight train route covering Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and China, and plan to increase trips to twice a week, he said.

SRT and KTMB have also discussed using Malaysia's locomotives and passenger cars in Thailand, and agreed to hold personal track safety training both online and on-site to ensure strong collaboration between Thai and Malaysian officials.

“The joint conference is an extension of our collaboration and will seamlessly enhance rail transport in both our countries, benefitting the economy, trade and tourism,” he said, adding that it also meets the government’s policy to promote Thailand as a regional tourism and logistics hub.