THAILAND: The Ministry of Transport is pushing ahead with the procurement of battery railcars, and consideration is being given to local production and the conversion of existing diesel locomotives to battery power.
The Department of Rail Transport and State Railway of Thailand have been tasked with devising a procurement plan and estimating the operating budget of battery railcars, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has said, while SRT is co-operating with educational institutes to come up with a design suitable use on services from Bang Sue Grand Station. Entry into trial service is envisaged for 2023.
The conversion of four Alsthom diesel locomotives to battery power is also being studied by DRT, SRT, the Railway Technology Development Institute and other educational institutions, while the Ministry of Transport is also planning to procure 20 battery powered shunting locomotives.
Energy Absolute has agreed to work with China Railway Construction Southeast Asia on the development of battery hybrid railcars, although Deputy CEO Amorn Suptaweekul told local media that it could take up to a year before it is in a position to set out a budget for production.
