Special train trip on Mother’s Day to use historic Japanese steam locomotive
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is organising a special train trip to mark Mother’s Day on August 12 featuring historic Japanese-made steam locomotives.
The train trip is between Bangkok (Hua Lamphong station) and Chachoengsao province.
SRT's public relations director, Ekarat Sri-arayanpong, said on Thursday that the trip was also being held to mark the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother and celebrate her work for the country.
August 12 is a public holiday in Thailand.
Ticket reservation for the trip opens at 8.30am on Friday (July 14), he said.
A return ticket is priced at 299 baht for a normal carriage and 799 baht each for an air-conditioned carriage. The prices include a snack and beverage.
Reservation can be made through the D-Ticket mobile application or at any railway station throughout the country. More information can be obtained by calling the SRT’s customer service centre 1690 (round-the-clock service) or the SRT’s PR team’s Facebook page.
The trains will be drawn by Pacific-class steam locomotive numbers 824 and 850, which were built by Japan's Nippon Sharyo after World War II and put into SRT service for the first time in 1949.
The well-maintained steam locomotives are kept at the SRT’s Thonburi Locomotive Depot in Bangkok.
The train ride is scheduled to start at Hua Lamphong railway station at 8.10am and reach Chachoengsao at 9.50am.
Passengers will have about six hours to explore the eastern province, visit places of worship there, and shop for famous local products.
The trains are scheduled to leave Chachoengsao at 4.30pm and arrive in Bangkok at 6.10pm. They will stop briefly at Makkasan, Klong Tan and Hua Mak stations in Bangkok for passengers to get on or off.
