Thai Mass Transport Systems: SRT: Prachuap Khiri Khan railway station and night shots.

While visiting the city of Prachuap Khiri Khan I went down to the main railway station in the city. This topic is a little different to others in that it has both day and night railway and station pictures.

Prachuap Khiri Khan railway station is a major SRT station on the main south line that links Bangkok with the south of Thailand. This station is 6 to 7 hours train ride south of Bangkok. Prachuap Khiri Khan station marks the start of southern Thailand. Prachuap Khiri Khan station also has a small railway yard and a 1000 metre crossing loop.

The main south line is the only railway that links the north and south of Thailand together. This line is mostly single track and is very congested as it is a major passenger and cargo line. The main south line is part of the South East Asian cargo land bridge service that links the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. Due to the main south line being mostly single track massive crossing loop delays can occur at any point on the line. Passenger trains heading to Bangkok can be upto 2 hours late.

There are trains operating throughout the day. But the most activity occurs in the evening and early morning at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Also not all main south line passenger trains stop at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. If you want to use a train from this station please try to book at least a week before you travel as demand outstrips supply on this route and trains are often booked up days in advance and a 3^rd class standing commuter ticket will be the only thing available on the day.

The trains that operate from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Bangkok are:

00.04, 00.41, 01.34, 02.49, 04.17, 15.04, 22.30 and 23.27

The best trains to take are: 00.04 sleeper train, 00.41 sprinter DMU seats only, 04.17 sleeper train and the 15.04 sprinter DMU seats only. All these trains have air conditioned carriages and are express.

The trains that operate from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Thonburi are:

00.22, 05.00 and 09.46 these trains are non aircon only and arrive in Thonburi near Bangkok.

The trains that operate from Prachuap Khiri Khan to the south of Thailand are:

00.25 Lang Suan, 01.02 Nakhon Sri Thammarat, 03.32 Yala, 12.09 Surat Thani, 13.32 Lang Suan, 18.26 Sungai Kolok, 20.28 Sungai Kolok, 21.38 Yala, 22.57 Nakhon Sri Thammarat and 23.29 Kantang.

1. This is an image of Prachuap Khiri Khan Station taken from the street. It is of a similar style to that of Hua Hin station.

2. This is a shot of the open air waiting area and ticketing hall at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Note the new LCD TV in the background.

3. This is an image of the platform timetable at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. The reflective cover made it hard to get a clear shot of it.

4. This is another shot of the waiting room looking back to the street. People often rest inside the station during the day as it’s out of the hot sun.

5. This is a shot of the signal control board at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. This is a much older system than what is used on the main north line in Rangsit.

6. This is a close up image of the signal control board inside the signal box. The two yellow lights indicate the track is occupied. The book is a working timetable for the main south line including cargo trains.

7. This is an outside shot of the signal room at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. They don’t have much of a garden at this station.

8. This is a shot of the platform looking south. Note the nice platform gardens at Prachuap Khiri Khan it makes up for the lack of a signal box garden. The bell is used to signal the train is ready to leave.

9. This is a shot of the signals at the southern end of Prachuap Khiri Khan station. The signals are always set to red when there is no train present.

10. This is a shot of a track work train stored in the sidings at Prachuap Khiri Khan Loop. Every thing the track workers need is on that train including their sleeping quarters and meal areas.

11. This is a close up shot of the track work machines used by SRT rail on the main south line. Taken at Prachuap Khiri Khan Loop. They are made by Plasser and are imported from Europe.

12. This is a picture of the office carriage of the track work train. The carriage is called “Chumphon mechanized track maintenance section office”. Note the small garden on the carriage step.

13. This is a general over view shot of Prachuap Khiri Khan station and loop. Note the nice platform garden.

14. This is an image of the new video cameras at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Like on the main system these have only been installed in the last 6 months and appear not to be monitored from the station but at a central location.

15. This is a shot of the communications equipment inside the signal box at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Note the age of the phones it even has a small handle to wind on it.

16. This is a picture of the advanced ticket booking office inside the station building.

17. This is a shot of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Platform signs and garden looking north.

This next section of pictures from Prachuap Khiri Khan railway station is quite different as they where taken around 11.30pm at night. This is my 1^st time to take nighttime railway and mass transport pictures. Like all pictures on my website these are not taken using an expensive and bulky SLR camera but a basic point and shot digital camera.

18. This is a night shot of Prachuap Khiri Khan station looking north. Like most SRT stations they are quite dark at night. SRT does not light up the entire track and platforms with floodlights like in Australia. The train on the left is the all stations Thonburi train. It will leave at 05.00am.

19. This is a night image of Prachuap Khiri Khan station looking south. The southern end is much darker than the middle of the station. The red signals really stand out at night.

20. This is a night shot of the platform at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Notice how only the platform is brightly lit. Even though it’s nearly midnight the station did not feel unsafe even though not a lot of people were around.

21. This is a shot of the Prachuap Khiri Khan signal box taken at night. Taken from within the sidings area.

22. This is a shot of SRT loco number 4514 taken at night just after it stopped at the station looking northward.

23. This is another night angle on SRT loco number 4514. Taken from the end of main platform at Prachuap Khiri Khan station.

24. This is the same train taken just 5 seconds after the image above. At 1^st it looks similar but look closely at the drivers cab. A ghostly figure can be seen standing in the cab. Not sure what created this image.

25. This is a rather difficult night shot of the loco on the stabled Thonburi train. A person with a torch provided extra light. SRT loco number 3121. This is an older style SRT loco.

26. This is another angle on loco 3121 taken from a seat on the platform. The bright white object above the train is a single fluro tube that provides light in the yard.

27. This is a movie of a night train approaching Prachuap Khiri Khan station. This film was taken from the rather dark southern end of the station looking south. The train is a sleeper train heading to Bangkok.

28. This is a movie of 2 trains passing at night in the station loop at Prachuap Khiri Khan station. Filmed looking north from the southern end of the station. Background light is rather limited at SRT stations.