The Transport Ministry is considering turning Nong Pladuk railway junction in Ratchaburi's Ban Pong district into a connecting point for a rail cargo transport link to Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri and the Dawei deep-sea port in Myanmar.
The Nong Pladuk station has the potential to become a connecting point for rail cargo transport within the country and also between Thailand and neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, said State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Wuthichart Kalyanamitra on Friday.
The ministry was conducting a feasibility study on the project to transport 3.6-metre cargo containers, the first of its kind to be carried out in Thailand, he said after yesterday's demonstration of the mini-cargo container transport test-run.
The switch to smaller cargo containers helps improve transport convenience and cut costs, he said.
During the test-run period, trains carrying the 3.6-metre cargo containers will be running on two routes, he said.
On the first route, 722km long, cargo trains run between Bangkok's Bang Sue station and Lamphun station, which acts as a freight distribution centre.
On the second 433km route, the trains will link Bangkok's Bang Sue station, Kut Chik station in Nakhon Ratchasima and Tha Phra station in Khon Kaen in the Northeast.
Tha Phra and Kut Chik stations are designated as cargo distribution points for the second route.
The test-run project formally begins on Monday and ends on Friday, said Mr Wuthichart.
The programme is a collaboration between Thailand and Japan, said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, at the launch of the project yesterday.
He said an evaluation of the project should be made available around the middle of this year and if the assessment confirms it is worth the investment, both countries will probably set up a joint venture to invest in procuring trains and locomotives for the future cargo service.
Japan is currently in talks with several operators interested in investing with Thailand while a number of Thai companies, including Siam Cement Group and Mitr Phol Group, have already expressed their interest in the mini-cargo transport service, he said.
Efficient management, especially the on-time performance of the rail transport service, should attract more companies to use the service in the future, Mr Arkhom said.
This new service should help business operators cut the operating costs of transporting products to countries in the region such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, he said.