Thailand taps Turkish expertise in high-speed train manufacturing

Thailand is collaborating with Türasaş, Turkey’s state-owned train manufacturer, to build fast trains for its new high-speed rail network, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Monday.

The knowledge exchange is part of plans to forge a rail-manufacturing industry to support the kingdom’s transport development.

“Thailand will need to procure many locomotives and trains in the future, and the ability to design and manufacture trains locally with world-class technology will be crucial,” said Suriya after talks with Türasaş chief executive Osman Boyraz during a visit to the company’s Sakarya factory in Turkey.

Türasaş partnered with Italian firm Blue Engineering in 2019 to develop an electric train for Turkey’s rail system that can run at the European standard of 160km/hour.

By incorporating 75% locally made parts, the Türasaş high-speed train is 20% cheaper than imported alternatives, according to the company. Türasaş has collaborated with several leading companies in the global rail industry, including Hyundai Alstom and Siemens, to produce train parts locally and reduce reliance on imports.

Suriya said his ministry will collaborate with the Industry Ministry to apply the knowledge of train manufacturing technology gained during his Turkey trip to support Thailand’s railway mega projects.

The ministry aims to reduce cost of building and operating rail infrastructure while also minimising environmental impacts, he said.

Thailand’s first high-speed rail line is currently under construction to link Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeast.

The planned dual-track system of high-speed lines connecting large cities will boost the economy and turn Thailand into a regional transport hub, said Suriya, who doubles as deputy prime minister.

Thanks to its status as a regional automotive manufacturing hub, the country already possesses experience, raw materials and skilled workers required for manufacturing components in the rail industry, he added.

“Railway manufacturing could become a new sector that generates sustainable income for the State Railway of Thailand from domestic sales and exports, while also benefiting local parts manufacturers,” he said.