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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Japanese Railcars in Thailand Face Conversion Delays

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is investigating delays surrounding the relocation and modification of 20 Japanese diesel railcars, initially gifted by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). These Kiha 40 and Kiha 48 models, delivered to Thailand in June 2024, remain unused and exposed to the elements at Laem Chabang Station in Chonburi Province. Issues with contract terms have stalled their conversion to fit Thai rail specifications.

The newly appointed SRT Governor, Veeris Ammarapala, clarified that the complications arose before his tenure. He highlighted that the current contract terms require certified engineers from JR East to oversee the separation of the railcars from their bogies, a critical step in adapting the wheelbase from 1.067 meters to one meter. This requirement has delayed the process. “We aim to expedite the upgrade to serve the public soon, but further review is essential to ensure compliance,” Veeris stated, anticipating a resolution by January 2025.

The railcars have been idle since their arrival from Niigata Port, Japan, over seven months ago. The vehicles remain exposed to harsh weather, raising concerns about their condition. Meanwhile, Green Generation Worldwide Co., the contractor responsible for transporting the railcars, has sent engineers and an SRT representative to JR East in Japan for specialized training on disassembling the vehicles. The training is expected to conclude within January, after which approval from SRT’s inspection committee will determine the next steps.

If approved, the contractor will immediately separate the railcars from their bogies and transport them via freight trains to the Makkasan workshop for wheel modifications, a process that should take no longer than two weeks. Afterward, the bogies will be returned to Laem Chabang for reassembly before the SRT upgrades the railcars for passenger use.

The project has faced additional challenges, including delays caused by the unamended contract terms, or Terms of Reference (TOR), and disputes over penalties for the contractor. Green Generation Worldwide has expressed its willingness to continue the work but requested relief from penalty fees, calculated at 0.01% of the contract value (48.6 million baht), amounting to approximately 4,860 baht per day. To date, the SRT has disbursed two payments to the contractor totaling around 30 million baht.

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