Thailand’s State Railway is set to begin overhauling 400 third-class fan-cooled train carriages into air-conditioned units, starting with a 295 million baht contract for 40 carriages expected to go to tender in August 2025.
The first phase of the upgrade aims to modernize aging third-class rolling stock, enhancing passenger comfort with air conditioning, redesigned seating, closed-system toilets, and power car integration to support onboard systems. The revised terms of reference (TOR) for the procurement are being finalized following input from the drafting committee and the Rail Technology Research and Development Institute.
Pending approval, the e-bidding process will open between August and September 2025, with a contract awarded by December. Deliveries are planned in eight batches, beginning with five carriages due by June 2026. All 40 units from the initial phase are expected to be operational by March 2028.
The project is part of a broader 939.7 million baht plan to upgrade 130 out of roughly 400 third-class carriages currently in service. Funding for the remaining 90 carriages will be requested in the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
The upgraded units are expected to improve service quality for many of the 32 million annual railway passengers—of which 60% currently use third-class fan-cooled coaches. Fare adjustments for the refurbished air-conditioned carriages remain under review, with current base fares for third-class seats starting at 2 baht.
Separately, the State Railway of Thailand has submitted two procurement proposals to the Ministry of Transport: one for 184 new air-conditioned diesel multiple unit (DMU) carriages at 24.15 billion baht, and another for 182 carriages to replace special express trains, budgeted at 10.5 billion baht. Both projects await Cabinet consideration.
Final approval of the TOR will be reviewed by the SRT Governor. Additional details, including input from various officials and the timeline for remaining carriages, were shared by the State Railway and related transport agencies.
