BANGKOK (NNT) – Thailand’s Transport Ministry is pushing ahead with the procurement and development of battery powered electric railcars, with the aim of having them running by 2023.
Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the Department of Rail Transport (DRT) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have been tasked with setting up a procurement plan, as well as working out an operation budget. The SRT is also cooperating with educational institutes, to come up with a design for battery powered electric railcars, which will make their debut at the Bang Sue Grand Station.
He pointed out that the Transport Ministry will study and design the new railcars this year, convert fossil-fueled locomotives into battery powered ones in 2022 and conduct trial runs in 2023. DRT, SRT, Railway Technology Development Institute and educational institutions are set to turn the four existing GEK, or Alsthom locomotives, into battery powered ones by 2023.
According to Mr. Saksayam, the procurement plan for these railcars will run until 2024, and the ministry is also planning to procure 20 battery powered shunting locomotives during that period.
