Wutthichart Kalayanamitr is the governor of the State Railway of Thailand and he said the new plan to move its centre of operations in the Thai capital would take about four years to complete. Bang Sue Station is located in the city’s Chatuchak District. The majority of trains heading in and out of Hua Lamphong currently stop at Bang Sue en route.
Hua Lamphong is also the terminus for MRT underground rail services from Bang Sue. This service will provide passengers arriving and departing at Bang Sue with easy access to central Bangkok.
The original blueprints for Bang Sue Station showed a contemporary edifice with lots of glass to admit natural light. In comparison, Hua Lamphong was built a century ago and is quite dark in places.
King Vajiravudh opened the station in June 1916 and since then its magnificent facade has evolved into one of Bangkok’s most famous landmarks. Although Hua Lamphong occupies a large chunk of prime real estate, governor Kalayanamitr says it will be transposed into a museum.
Thai railway agency revives plan to move Bangkok terminus
News in Asia
Thailand’s national railway agency has resurrected a plan to relocate its Bangkok terminus station. The scheme to shift the terminus from Hua Lamphong Station to a new home at Bang Sue Station was originally proposed a decade ago with a scheduled completion date of 2012.