BANGKOK : Thailand ushered in a new age of train travel on Thursday January 19 as Southeast Asia s biggest railway station opened its doors. The country is positioned as a regional hub and will be strengthened by the huge modern development on the edge of central Bangkok, according to the government.
It is known as Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king. It is more likely to be known as Bang Sue Grand Station for most people, after the part of Bangkok it is in.
The cost of the new terminal, including the station, elevated train tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok's mass transit system, is around US $1 billion, according to Takun Indarachome, director of traffic operations for the State Railway of Thailand.
Almost all of Thailand s long-distance domestic and international rail services will pass through the new terminal, which was started 10 years ago. The first train from the new station was bound for Sungai Kolok, on Thailand's southern border with Malaysia.
Many Thais are lamenting the shunting aside of the previous terminal, Hua Lamphong Station on the edge of Bangkok's Chinatown in the centre of the capital. The classic station has hosted generations of travellers, from rural workers looking for jobs in the city to backpacking tourists headed south to chill at seaside resorts.