Eastern Line (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]

Eastern Line
Hua Mak Railway Station, one of some stations that can be interchanged to Airport Rail Link (Bangkok)
Overview
OwnerState Railway of Thailand
LocaleBangkok, Chachoengsao Province, Nakhon Nayok Province, Saraburi Province, Prachinburi Province, Sa Kaeo Province, Chonburi Province, and Rayong Province
TerminiHua Lamphong
Main: Ban Klong Luk Border, Ban Phlu Ta Luang, Kaeng Khoi
Branch: Map Taphut, Laem Chabang Deep Sea Port, Maenam, and Lat Krabang ICD
Service
TypeInter-city rail
Services3:
  • Aranyaprathet Main Line
  • Ban Phlu Ta Luang Main Line
  • Phra Phutthachai Line
Depot(s)Makkasan depot
History
Opened24 January 1907[1]
Technical
Line length255 km (158 mi)
Track gauge1,000 mm

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

Timeline

In 1941, SRT had built 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, [2] but closed again in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]

Services

The lines is divided into three main line:

Other branch line:

  • Makkasan-Maenam
  • Lat Krabang-ICD
  • Sriracha Junction-Laem Chabang Deep Sea Port
  • Khao Chi Chan Junction-Map Taphut

Notable railway stations


The Eastern Line begins at Bangkok before heading through Chacheongsao, 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. History of Thai railway (in Thai)
  2. Cambodia and Thailand reconnected by rail after 45 years; The Straits Times, 22 April 2019
  3. Limited, Bangkok Post Public Company. "Border checkpoints with Cambodia in Sa Kaeo to close". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  4. New Eastern rail line gets on track, The Bangkok Post, 13/01/2012
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