Steam train passengers celebrate Thai railway’s 125th birthday on Bangkok-Ayutthaya trip through time
A special steam train pulled out of Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station bound for Ayutthaya on Sunday morning to mark Chulalongkorn Memorial Day.
The vintage train service is laid on once a year to celebrate the birth of Thailand’s railway under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
King Chulalongkorn ordered the construction of Thailand’s first railway, between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, in 1890.
The 71-kilometre route was opened six years later on March 26, 1896.
It went on to form the first section of the Northern Line, linking Bangkok and upper Thailand.
On Sunday, the special stream train chugged out of Hua Lamphong with tourists aboard after a ceremony presided over by Sujit Chaosirikul, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) deputy governor of Electrified Rail Management.
The stars of the ceremony were two vintage Pacific steam locomotives. Engines Nos 824 and 850 were built just after World War II by Nippon Sharyo Company, and are normally kept at Thonburi Locomotive Depot, located at Bangkok Noi train station.
Guests boarding Sunday’s special service paid 299 baht for a seat in the 3rd Class carriages and 799 baht in the air-conditioned carriages.
Snacks and drinks were served to passengers in both 3rd Class and air-con carriages during the six-hour journey.
Those who missed Sunday’s historic trip will get another chance to travel back through time on December 5, when a steam train will leave Bangkok for Chachoengsao to celebrate King Rama IX’s birthday and National Father’s Day.
However, demand for the trips is always high and tickets sell out quickly. Readers interested in taking the historic journey are advised to contact the SRT Customer Service Centre hotline at 1690 or check for updates at Facebook @pr.railway.
