ส.อ.ท. เดินหน้าขนส่งสินค้าทางราง ลดต้นทุนโลจิสติกส์ไทย ผนึก “รัฐ–เอกชน” ปูทางสู่เชิงพาณิชย์FTI Advances Rail Freight Transportation to Reduce Thai Logistics Costs, Collaborating with Public and Private Sectors to Pave the Way for Commercial Operations

FTI is actively promoting the pilot project for rail freight transportation under the Rail Transportation Act of 2025, collaborating with public and private sectors to lay the foundation for commercial rail freight operations, enhancing logistics efficiency, reducing transport costs, and elevating the competitiveness of the Thai industrial sector sustainably.

On September 18, 2026, Mr. Udon Kongkaekhet, Executive Board Member of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Infrastructure, Logistics, and Supply Chain within the ASEAN and Logistics Division, participated in the inauguration ceremony of the rail freight pilot project. He was joined by members of the ASEAN and Logistics Division and the Chonburi Provincial Industrial Council, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Mr. Phipat Ratchakitprakarn presiding over the ceremony. This significant step aims to enhance the transportation and logistics system of Thailand at the Port C freight container yard at Laem Chabang Port, Si Racha District, Chonburi Province.

This project represents a new model of collaboration between public and private sectors, with the government defining direction, rules, and appropriate standards.

Meanwhile, the private sector brings knowledge, expertise, technology, operational agility, and market insights to the development of the system, ensuring that the rail infrastructure the country has invested in can be utilized efficiently and generate maximum economic value.

Previously, a working group—comprising the Ministry of Transport, through the Transport Policy and Planning Office (OTP), the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Trade of Thailand—has continuously pushed for the project across various dimensions, including drafting subordinate legislation, developing operational licensing systems, and revising regulations concerning the determination and exemption of usage fees for tracks.

This trial run serves as a collaborative model involving multiple parties throughout the transport chain, utilizing locomotives from TPI Polene Public Company Limited alongside flatcars from the State Railway of Thailand to transport rubber from Si Trang Leo Multimodal Logistics Co., Ltd. on the route Laem Chabang Port–Nong Khai–Laem Chabang Port, to facilitate exports.

The trial encompasses the entire rail freight transportation process, including the loading and unloading of containers from the trains, to test the actual operations and assess the efficiency of the system at each stage.

The critical aspect of the pilot project is the systematic collection of operational data to reveal the true costs throughout the rail transport chain, including access charges for rail infrastructure, locomotive charges, fuel costs, driver expenses, and handling expenses at both the origin and destination points.

This data will serve as a vital foundation for analyzing cost structures and operational efficiency as well as identifying issues, obstacles, and limitations in various areas, including regulations, service rates, train management, and the effective utilization of locomotives and freight cars, as well as the efficiency of handling stations.

In the future, the working group from both the public and private sectors will continuously monitor and evaluate the trial results to use the data obtained to develop appropriate methods and mechanisms for providing commercial rail freight services. This will help build confidence among the industrial sector, operators, and customers, while supporting the transition from road transport to rail systems to become more concrete.

The pilot project for rail freight transportation under the Rail Transportation Act of 2025 is also aligned with the “5I Strategy” under the leadership of Ms. Pimjai Leeissaranukul, President of FTI, particularly the I4: Industrial Infrastructure Reform strategy, which aims to elevate and reform the country's critical infrastructure to enhance production efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen the competitiveness of the Thai industrial sector.

Encouraging increased use of rail transport not only creates demand for rail transport services but also serves as a significant driver for the growth of the rail industry in the country, including maintenance, manufacturing of components and spare parts, and the development of Thai operators within the rail industry supply chain.

FTI will continue to collaborate with the government to support the trial and further development of the project to promote the efficient, transparent, and sustainable commercial rail freight services, enhancing the logistics system, reducing cost constraints, and strengthening the competitiveness of the Thai industry.