Eastern_Line_(Thailand)

Eastern Line (Thailand)

Eastern Line (Thailand)

Railway line in Thailand

Eastern Line is a railway line in Thailand, built and owned by State Railway of Thailand (SRT), located in Bangkok, Chachoengsao Province, Nakhon Nayok Province, Saraburi Province, Prachinburi Province, Sa Kaeo Province, Chonburi Province, and Rayong Province. It is the most important freight transport line in Thailand because there are many freight trains on the line. It was opened on 24 January 1907.[1]

Quick Facts Overview, Status ...

There are plans to incorporate the line as part of the eastern branch line on the Kunming–Singapore railway.

Route description

The lines are divided into three main lines:

Other branch lines:

  • Makkasan – Mae Nam – Bang Chak Oil Refinery
  • Lat Krabang – Inland Container Deport (ICD)
  • Si Racha Junction – Laem Chabang Port
  • Khao Chi Chan Junction – Map Ta Phut Port

Timeline

Aranyaprathet Main Line

In 1941, SRT built a 17-kilometer railway line into Cambodia, but five years later, that line was removed because of World War II ending.[1] In 1953, the SRT rebuilt the 6-kilometer rail line into Cambodia upon Cambodia's request and opened it on 22 April 1955, though it was closed again in 1961 due to strained Cambodia-Thailand relations.[1] The cross-border link between Aranyaprathet briefly Poipet briefly opened in April 2019,[4] but closed again in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In 2023, the border was reopened for freight transport.[6]

Chuk Samet Main Line

In July 1989, the Eastern Line Chachoengsao Junction–Sattahip Commercial Port section opened. Freight trains continued to end of the line to Sattahip Commercial Port (Chuk Samet) until the early 2000s when the port's commercial role decreased. This resulted in passenger services terminating at Ban Phlu Ta Luang railway station and freight trains stopped operating on the line entirely. In 2002–2003, some services continued down the line to Jamboree Station, built specially for the 20th World Scout Jamboree held in Sattahip. In the 2010s, Samae San railway halt was constructed with some weekend tourist rail services terminating here, but this was short-lived.

On 10 November 2023, the line between Ban Phlu Ta Luang and Chuk Samet reopened, in the hopes of boosting tourism by providing closer access to U-Tapao International Airport, as well as direct rail access to HTMS Chakri Naruebet located at Sattahip Naval Base.[3][7]

Notable railway stations

Nameboard of Pattaya station, in July 2023.

The Eastern Line begins at Bangkok before heading through Chachoengsao, Prachinburi to terminate at Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaew Province, 255 kilometers from Bangkok. There is a reopened rail link to Cambodia from Aranyaprathet. A branch line also connects Khlong Sip Kao Junction to the Northeastern Line at Kaeng Khoi Junction. At Chachoengsao Junction, there is another branch to Sattahip. Along the route to Sattahip, at Si Racha Junction, there is yet another branch towards Laem Chabang Deep Sea Port and further at Khao Chi Chan Junction for Map Ta Phut Port, in Rayong.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    History of Thai railway (in Thai)
  2. [2]
    "Thai Railway Travel" p.339
  3. [3]
    "เปิด 2 สถานีรถไฟใหม่ภาคตะวันออก สถานีอู่ตะเภา และ จุกเสม็ด".
  4. [4]
    Cambodia and Thailand reconnected by rail after 45 years; The Straits Times, 22 April 2019
  5. [5]
    "Border checkpoints with Cambodia in Sa Kaeo to close". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  6. [6]
    "ไทย-กัมพูชาเปิดขบวนรถไฟรอบปฐมฤกษ์ เส้นทางมาบตาพุด-คลองลึก-ปอยเปต-พนมเปญ". Manager Online. 27 July 2023.
  7. [7]
    "เปิดแล้วรถไฟสายตะวันออก หัวลำโพงปลายทางจุกเสม็ด ตู้โดยสารชั้น 3 วันละ 1 เที่ยว".
  8. [8]
    New Eastern rail line gets on track, The Bangkok Post, 13/01/2012
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