This week I went out to Chachoengsao Junction to document the cargo and passenger train operations of the area. Chachoengsao city is around 60 km east of Bangkok located on the banks of the mighty Bang Pakong River. Before the railways Chachoengsao was a major inland river port and was the centre of water borne travel in the eastern part of central Thailand. Today its role has greatly changed its now at the heart of SRT’s major cargo train corridors to the deep water ports in Rayong and Chonburi. Chachoengsao is the junction for 3 mainline railways. These are Aranyaprathet (Former Cambodia route), Kaeng Khoi Junction (Issan cargo route) Sattahip/Map Ta Put/Laem Chabang (SRT’s busiest cargo routes). The railway to Sattahip/Map Ta Put/Laem Chabang is very recent by SRT standards opening progressively in stages from 1984 to 1995 to service the massive cargo task of these areas. This line generates the bulk of SRTs cargo operations revenue. In addition to this line the railway from Khlong 19 to Kaeng Khoi Junction also opened in 1995. This line was built to bypass the congested main eastern line to Bangkok with its short loops and congested single track. This line allows direct cargo access to the Issan lines. Even to this day no passenger trains operate regularly via this line it’s a strictly cargo only line. The Bangkok direction line also sees quite a bit of container traffic from the ICD (inland port) terminal at Hua Takhe about 30 km west of Chachoengsao Junction. There are 24 container cargo trains a day to and from the ICD via Chachoengsao. The main eastern line (Bangkok to Chachoengsao) line is quite unusual in that it is double tracked from Hua Mak (eastern Bangkok) to Chachoengsao but is single line from Hua Mak to Yommaraj Junction through some of the most densely populated areas of inner Bangkok. This odd track layout means extensive delays for all cargo and passenger trains between Hua Mak and Yommaraj as this section of line is at capacity most of the time. Also the section crosses many gridlocked main roads of inner Bangkok that makes delays even worse. The different types of cargo trains that SRT operate via Chachoengsao Junction are: Containers, Natural Gas, Crude Oil, Chemical and Cement trains. Due to all the lines east of Chachoengsao being single line the maximum cargo train length is approximately 600 meters. A total of 60 various SRT cargo trains pass though the Chachoengsao Junction each day. This number also includes the 20 trains that have to reverse direction at Chachoengsao to allow them to access the Kaeng Khoi line from the Sattahip line. This is due there being no triangle at Chachoengsao Junction. As a result of all this cargo train activity this area is great for getting Thai cargo train images during daylight hours close to Bangkok. As its only 90 minutes SRT train ride from Hualamphong station via the congested main eastern line. 2. This is another view of SRT’s Asoke station. Taken looking west towards Hualamphong. This rather small station is one of the busiest interchange stations for the eastern line. To the left of the image across a busy road is Phetchaburi MRT station. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020826a.jpg 5. This is an image showing the train waiting to cross the jammed level crossing at 11am in the morning. The congestion in Bangkok often adds 5 mins per crossing due to them being gridlocked. In the background is the new Makkasan station for the airport line still under construction. 6. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4547 looking quite sharp on the very late 10.28 Chachoengsao Train. This is a newer GE loco. Taken looking west from Asoke station. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020829a.jpg 11. This is a shot of the signal control system desk inside the main station building at Chachoengsao Junction. The black box is the train radio system. The red phones contact the next signal boxes either side of Chachoengsao station. The Cargo Trains of Chachoengsao Junction. 17. This is an image of SRT loco number 4536 hauling a Laem Chabang bound container train. This train originated at the ICD inland port at Hua Takhe. Taken looking west from the rail yard. 19. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4511 in blue colour scheme hauling an ICD bound container train. Taken looking east from within Chachoengsao rail yard. 21. This is a shot of SRT loco 4511 hauling an ICD bound cargo train passing SRT loco 4536 hauling a Laem Chabang bound container train in the 3rd platform road at Chachoengsao station. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020859a.jpg 23. This is a short video of the wagons of the ICD bound cargo train passing through the platform road at Chachoengsao Station. Note the container wagons used. These wagons only can hold two 20 foot containers or one 40 foot container. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJYiWDdT7dA"]YouTube - SRT Cargo Inbound ICD train.[/ame] 24. This is a movie of SRT loco 4536 hauling a Laem Chabang bound container train. Filmed as it departed Chachoengsao Station heading east. Note the sounds of the loco and the wagon types. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FkMSBVSY-4"]YouTube - SRT Cargo train outbound to Laem Chabang[/ame] 25. This is a shot of the last few wagons going through the eastern end points of Chachoengsao rail yard. Note the twist effect of the train as it passes over the points. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020869a.jpg 27. This is a shot of SRT loco 4118 hauling a natural gas train as it was approaching Chachoengsao Junction. This train will stop at this station and reverse direction as it’s a north eastern bound gas train. Loco type Alstrom. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020871b.jpg 28. This is another shot of SRT loco 4118 hauling a natural gas train taken looking east from within Chachoengsao rail yard. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020872b.jpg 29. This is a short movie of SRT loco 4118 on a gas train as it arrived at Chachoengsao junction. Note how the driver was waving out the window as he passed by. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id84pDvejFg"]YouTube - SRT cargo Gas train.[/ame] 30. This is an image of a typical cargo train brake van seen on a natural gas train. Taken looking north west from the rail yard at Chachoengsao yard. SRT unit number BBV 50010. This vehicle houses the trains guard. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020879a.jpg 33. This is an image of SRT loco 4118 and brake van BBV 50010 taken at the exact moment of the two vehicles meeting. The person in the foreground will connect the locos hoses to the brake van. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020883a.jpg A Passenger DMU at Chachoengsao Junction. 34. This is a shot of SRT DMU number 1031 seen waiting to form the 14.05 train to Bangkok. Taken looking south east at Chachoengsao Station. DMU type Hitachi & Nippon built in 1971. Note the amount of rust in the front of this DMU. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020889a.jpg 35. This is another angle on DMU number 1031 seen at Chachoengsao station. This DMU is really on its last legs but due to a rail car shortage at SRT they are forced to use it. The 14.05 train normally operated with an all aircon British rail sprinter DMU. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020890a.jpg 36. This is an inside shot of DMU 1031 looking towards the drivers cab. Note the condition of the passenger area even the floors are rotten and holes are forming in the floor coverings. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020891a.jpg 37. This is another inside shot looking away from the driver’s cab of DMU 1031. Note the poor condition of the seating and carriage. This carriage is a real big down grade from a clean aircon DMU to one of the oldest non aircon DMUs still operating on the SRT rail system. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020897a.jpg 38. This is a shot of the drivers cab on DMU 1031. Note how it’s just made of rust and is in poor condition. This train appears to be able to get upto around 110kph but only did 90kph in service. The track is rated to 120kph for DMUs. http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/Thaitransit/SRT%20cargo%20and%20Main%20east/P1020896a.jpg 41. This is a shot movie showing what its like to ride on SRT DMU 1031. Note the general condition of the carriage. This DMU could only get upto 90 kph after having its engine fail in the platform at Chachoengsao. Remember this trip used to have a clean aircon DMU before this very old non aircon DMU replaced it. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOAouiydrN4"]YouTube - A ride on one of the oldest DMUs on the SRT system.[/ame] If you would like to see more images and information on this topic please visit: Thai Mass Transport Systems: SRT Cargo Trains and Chachoengsao Junction (Eastern Line). I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.
Thank you for sharing you photo coverage of Thai railroading with us. Do the trains actually hold for the auto/motorcycle traffic at the grade crossings? Could you tell us more about the very interesting looking signals that appear to be semaphores with signal lights below? Thank you. :tb-biggrin:
Yes the trains do have to wait for the gridlocked road level crossings in major urban areas. However all urban level crossings and rural main road level crossings are staffed and interlocked to the track signals 24 hours a day. I have had to wait 20 mins at yommarat junction due to gridlocked traffic. Its very annoying problem on bangkoks urban rail system. very few roads are grad seperated. The worst is Yommarat Junction with 6 major roads (6 - 8 lane roads)converging at the level crossing and to make it worse the railway crossing is the start of the diverge for the eastern line so delays are common and long. This basicly means the train will stop at a red signal just before the level crossing and wait until the gate is close or the train is given a green flag to crawl through. Some crossings lost there booms long ago and the gate staff use metal gate on wheels to block the road and then use flags to direct the rail traffic. The black angled section above the signal lights is a strip of LED white lights that show the direction of travel for the train passing though a junction. In effect like a turn arrow on road traffic lights.
Thank you for the explanations. It sounds as though you have gridlock on the rails and the road in Thailand. :tb-biggrin:
