In order to respond to the rail transportation policy of the public sector, SSI-SRT trialed the transportation of 46 tons of hot rolled steel sheet in coil (HRC) via the special bogie container flat wagons from Na Phak Khuang railway station, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and stop at Sri Samran, Supanburi Province. It is confident that rail transportation can mitigate road traffic problems and reduce air pollution which can develop quality of life of the people sector and the environment as well as cost saving.
On 15 May 2023, Sahaviriya Steel Industries PLC or SSI, represented by Mr. Nava Chantanasurakon, President of SSI, together with Mr. Niruj Maneepun, Governor of State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and Mr. Sathien Charoenruen, Governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, jointly presided over the opening ceremony of special pilot train for transportation of hot rolled steel sheets in coil of SSI by using 3 bogie container flat wagons (BCF) with loading capacity of 46 tons from Na Phak Khuang railway station, Bangsaphan District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and stop at Sri Samran, Song Pee Nong Sub-district, Supanburi Province. Chief Bangsaphan District, leaders of location administration organizations, community leaders, the management of the Department of Rail Transport and the Rail Technology Research and Development Agency (Public Organization) also presented in this ceremony.
Mr. Nava Chantanasurakon, President of Sahaviriya Steel Industries PLC or SSI said that Thailand has the 20-year national strategy plan to raise level, develop and modernize the rail transportation system of Thailand and to make it become the largest system in ASEAN and the State Railway of Thailand has invested a large amount for the development of the infrastructure. SSI which engages in business of steel production realized opportunity and benefits on goods transportation by rails, so it collaborated with the State Railway of Thailand to initiate the transportation of hot rolled steel sheets in coil via rail with 3 objectives which can be summarized as follows:
1) To respond to the policy of the public sectors on driving and increasing amount and ratio of transportation of steel products via rail; 2) The Company believes that rail transportation can mitigate road traffic problems, reduce air pollution which can elevate quality of life of the people sector and the environment; 3) Goods transportation by rail is another alternative apart from trucks, and vessel. This trial transportation today can help us know results and gap so that it can cooperate with SRT to develop the pilot transportation by rail for other goods to create economic value.
“The State Railway of Thailand is now accelerating the facelift on development of rail transportation and provides the opportunity for the Company to initiate transportation of steel products via rail and to support Bangsaphan District to be the original destination for the first time in the history of Thailand on transportation of steel products via rail”, said Mr. Nava.
Mr. Niruj Maneepun, Governor of State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said that SRT places importance on development of rail system on continued basis to raise the national logistic systems so that they can compete at the international level, both on transportation of goods and passengers, particularly, it can increase options for transportation of agricultural products for the farmers, and the goods transportation of the industrial sectors. Goods transportation by rail is regarded as the efficient logistic system with low cost, energy saving and most worthiness. Capacity of each transportation trip is a lot higher than the road transportation. For the past, SRT supported the trade partners to trial on transportation of goods via rail to the distribution center via many rail routes. It is regarded as an important step to transform the transportation from road to rail. There are policies which support and encourage on development of rail system to cover all regions of the country to transport goods in the strategic routes so that they can connect with the industrial and agricultural production bases of the country to increase business capability on responding to the customers’ requirements.
“Trial of transportation in Na Phak Khuang area is the good sign of the community people because apart from solving the environment, it can open the trade opportunity for the local people on selling their products not only within the country but in the markets overseas as well,” said the SRT Governor.
Mr. Sathien Charoenruen, Governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, said that “Prachuap Khiri Khan Province has potentials on industry, agriculture, fishery and a lot of important community tourism destinations. Potential on agriculture and local fishery are main occupations of the people that can generate income sustainably. For a large industry, there is the largest producer of hot rolled steel sheet in coil in the country which is Sahaviriya Group. There is also deep-sea port, private commercial port service providers that can support transportation of raw material and steel products in a very large amount. Transportation via rail system is a new option with high safety, low budget and it can reduce road traffic problem. In the future, if the rail system is connected to Prachuap port, the goods transportation by road, rail and vessels can be seamlessly connected which can lift the competitive potential level of the industries in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.