Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is the main train station in Thailand. It is located between Chatuchak district and Bang Sue district. This station replaced the old Hua Lamphong railway station and started serving long-distance trains on January 19, 2023.

The station opened on August 2, 2021, as part of the SRT Red Lines. For a time, from May 2021 to September 2022, it was also used as a COVID-19 vaccination center. People can walk underground to reach the Bang Sue MRT station. The name was chosen by King Vajiralongkorn.

It is the biggest railway station in Southeast Asia, with 26 platforms that are about 600 meters long. The station has a lot of space—274,192 square meters. It was built on land owned by the railway company and will have places to keep both diesel and electric trains. Right now, only long-distance trains stop here, while local trains still go to the old Bang Sue Junction railway station.

History

In 2010, the government decided to move Bangkok's main train station to a new location near Bang Sue Junction. Construction began in 2013 as part of a project to build a new suburban railway system. By December 2020, the building work was finished.

From May 2021 to September 2022, the station was used as a place for COVID-19 vaccination. Public trial rides on the new railway started on August 2, 2021. On January 19, 2023, long-distance trains that used to end at the old station now began stopping at the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal instead.

Layout

The Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal will have four floors: one below ground and three above. The underground floor will connect to the Bang Sue MRT station on the MRT Blue Line and include parking for 1,624 cars. The ground floor will be the station’s main area with ticket counters and waiting spaces, and it will be the only part of the station with air conditioning.

On the second floor, there will be platforms for trains with 12 tracks. Eight tracks will be used for long-distance trains, and four will serve local SRT Red Dark and Light Red Line trains. The third floor will have platforms for high-speed trains with 10 tracks. Four of these will connect to Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and U-Tapao International Airport, while six tracks are ready for future high-speed rail links to Nong Khai, Padang Besar, Thailand, and Chiang Mai. There are also plans for a large memorial site to honor King Rama V, known for helping start Thailand’s railroads, though this area will open later than the station itself.

Phahonyothin Freight Yard

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is also home to the Phahonyothin cargo yard. This yard has about 50 rail-tracks and sidings, making it the largest rail yard in all of Thailand. It is located about 1.5 kilometres from the station and serves as the main place for moving goods by train across the country.

Transportation Center

Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal is a major train station in Thailand. It offers special express, express, and rapid trains to places like Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Nong Khai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Kantang, Padang Besar (Thai), and Su-ngai Kolok. It also has commuter rail services called the SRT Red Lines, with the Dark Red Line going to Rangsit and the Light Red Line going to Taling Chan.

The terminal is connected to other train lines nearby. The Blue Line train stops at Lak Song to Tha Phra and can be reached from Bang Sue Station through an underground walkway. It also links to Bang Sue Junction Railway Station, offering suburban trains to Hua Lamphong, Phitsanulok, Surin, and Suphan Buri.

Bus connections

The following BMTA and Private Jointed routes serve this station:

3 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - Mo Chit 2 - Khlong San)
3 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - BTS Mochit Station) (Loop)
16 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - Mo Chit 2 - Surawong)
49 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - Hua Lamphong Railway Station) (Loop)
52 (Pak Kret - Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd. - Mo Chit 2) (Only go to Mo Chit 2)
67 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - Central Plaza Rama III)
77 (Central Plaza Rama III - Mo Chit 2) (Only go to Mo Chit 2)
96 (Min Buri - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
104 (Pak Kret - Phahonyothin Rd. - Mo Chit 2) (Only go to Mo Chit 2)
134 (Bua Thong Kheha - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
136 (Khlong Toei - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
138 (Phra Pradaeng Pier - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
138 (Ratchapracha - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
145 (Pak Nam (Praeksa Bordin) - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
145 (Mega Bangna - Mo Chit 2) (Drop off at railway station)
157 (Bang Khae - Phuttha Monthon 1 st rd. - Expressway - Victory Monument)
170 (Phuttha Monthon 2 nd rd. - Charan Sanit Wong rd. - Mo Chit 2)
509 (Borommaratchachonnani - Phuttha Monthon 2 nd rd. - Mo Chit 2) (Only go to Mo Chit 2)
517 (Kamphaeng Phet Bus Depot - Mo Chit 2 - KMITL)
536 (Pak Nam - Expressway - Mo Chit 2) (Only go to Mo Chit 2)