State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand, or SRT, runs the main public rail network for long-distance travel. Its lines link Bangkok with much of the country.
A railway built around Bangkok
The main lines spread out from Bangkok. The northern line passes Ayutthaya on the way to Chiang Mai. In the northeast, routes split toward Nong Khai and Ubon Ratchathani. The eastern line runs toward Cambodia. The southern line follows the peninsula and links with rail in Malaysia.
Trains and stations
SRT runs local trains, longer intercity services, and overnight trains with beds. Stations are more than places to board. Many grew into town landmarks, market areas, and hubs for local life.
The railway in Thai life
Thai rail spans old timber stations, mechanical signals, new terminals, and newer trains. Routes cross rice plains, river valleys, mountain foothills, and the long southern peninsula.
The railway
The State Railway of Thailand is การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย in Thai. It is usually called SRT in English and รฟท. in Thai. SRT is Thailand's national state railway body. It runs the main rail system that links Bangkok with many parts of the country.
SRT is not the operator of every railway in Thailand. Bangkok's BTS and MRTA rail systems have other bodies behind them. SRT does, however, have a role in city rail through the Red Line and its SRTET company.
The roots of SRT go back to the Railway Department. It was set up in October 1890 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. The first state rail section opened from Bangkok to Ayutthaya on 26 March 1896. Thailand already had one private railway by then. The Pak Nam Railway to Samut Prakan had opened in 1893. For that reason, 1896 is the start of the working state railway, not the first rail line of any kind.
The present SRT was created under the State Railway of Thailand Act of 1951. The old Department of State Railway became a state enterprise. SRT's legal powers cover rail service and rail property. They also cover related business and other work tied to the railway.
History, landscape, and local life
SRT groups its main network into five route families. They are the Northern (สายเหนือ), Southern (สายใต้), Northeastern (สายตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ), Eastern (สายตะวันออก), and Maeklong (สายแม่กลอง) lines.
Each route crosses a different kind of place. The Northern Line leaves the Central Plain and ends in the northern mountains at Chiang Mai. The Northeastern routes reach the Khorat Plateau and Isan. The Eastern routes cross the east toward coastal and border districts. The Southern network runs down the Thai peninsula. The Maeklong system is a separate local rail line west of central Bangkok.
In 2023, the Department of Rail Transport reported 4,044 route-kilometres of intercity rail across 47 provinces. That number is a useful dated measure of reach. It should not be treated as a fixed total for every year.
SRT's stations also tell local stories. Ayutthaya Railway Station stands outside the old river island. Its earlier wooden building was replaced by a concrete one in 1921. Chiang Mai Railway Station became the end of the Northern Line in 1921. Rail then helped trade areas grow on the east side of the city. In Kanchanaburi, today's SRT route shares ground with part of the wartime Burma–Thailand Railway.
Bangkok's main SRT geography has also changed. สถานีกลางกรุงเทพอภิวัฒน์ / Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is now a key hub for the Northern, Northeastern, and Southern long-distance groups. It also meets the Red Line suburban railway. The station joins the old national rail role with a newer metro-scale role.