Used Japanese Train Cars Greeted by Thai Fans on Test Run

Bangkok, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)--Rail enthusiasts in Thailand gathered to take photographs as the country’s national railway operator held on Tuesday a test run of used train cars originally from Japan’s Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido.

Fans flocked to stations and around the tracks to take pictures of the Kiha 183 series train cars, which arrived in Thailand from Japan last December.

Three of the 17 used cars given to the Southeast Asian country were used in the test run, conducted by the State Railway of Thailand, after having been completely refurbished. The three-car train left a station in Bangkok and arrived at Chachoengsao station some 60 kilometers away about an hour later.

Some signs in Japanese inside, including those indicating “trash bin” and “nonreserved seating,” were kept unaltered, maintaining some of the train cars’ original feel.

The SRT plans to complete the refurbishment of the remaining 14 cars by the end of next year. Before being given to Thailand, the Kiha 183 cars were operated as limited express trains by JR Hokkaido in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]