The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has begun to test a Japanese-backed freight-delivery service using 12-foot containers and may set up a joint venture if the trial is successful.
Thai and Japanese authorities ceremonially launched a cargo train carrying the small containers — the global industry standard is 20 feet — at the Nong Pladuk junction in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province on Friday.
Test runs will take place on two routes: 722 kilometres from Bangkok's Bang Sue station to Lamphun province in the North and 433km from Bang Sue to Khon Kaen in the Northeast.
SRT governor Wuthichart Kalyanamitra said it was the first time Thailand had tried 12-foot containers, which offered flexibility in transport because trucks could more easily deliver them between rail depots and customers' locations.
Launching the test, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that if the trial was successful, Thailand and Japan would form a joint venture within this year and the new company would acquire trains and locomotives for the service.
He thinks that all train stations have areas that are enough to handle the smaller containers.
A good operational system introduced by Japan could encourage operators to turn from road transport to the cheaper rail service and it should attract small and medium-sized enterprises, the minister said.
Small containers rest on carriages before a test run from the Nong Pladuk station in Ratchaburi on Friday. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)