KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Thailand plan to expand their cooperation in freight transport and express rail services, which will help bring economic, trade and tourism benefits to both countries.
The two countries plan to increase the frequency of the ASEAN Express train service, which links Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and China, from once a week to twice a week.
The Asean Express is anticipated to enhance trade connectivity among the four nations, offering a quicker transportation option with a nine-day journey to China, compared to 14 to 21 days by sea.
Malaysia completed the inaugural trip of the Asean Express last month. The cargo train, which took 14 days to travel to Chongqing, China, returned to Malaysia on July 11.
The train, which carried 20 wagons of 40 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) containers, began its journey on June 27.
During its return trip, the train transported sodium sulfate from China, while on its outbound journey, it delivered food products to Thanaleng, Laos and China.
Ekkarat Sriarayanphong, chief of the governor's office at the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said it is ready to support cross-border freight routes, including the Padang Besar-Hatyai Junction route, in collaboration with Malaysia's railway company, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).
The two countries have agreed to reinstate the direct train service between Bangkok, Padang Besar and Butterworth.
The decision was made in principle during the 42nd KTMB-SRT joint conference held last week in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, as reported by foreign media.
Previously, the SRT had terminated its daily express service between Bangkok and Butterworth in 2016, restricting operations to Padang Besar at the Malaysia-Thailand border.
The revival of this service aims to bolster rail connections between Thailand and Malaysia, facilitating easier travel and seamless goods transportation while boosting the economy and tourism, according to Ekkarat.
Additionally, SRT and KTMB have agreed to promote tourism by extending the Malaysian holiday excursion train My Sawasdee.
Currently terminating at Hatyai, the train service will be extended to Surat Thani at a later date.