Is the State Railway of Thailand ASR class a whole difference class to the 158?

[jamie56]

I was just wondering is the 158s the same as the ASR class?

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

The ASR class is based on the Class 158, but is metre gauge and has slam doors instead of the plug doors on the 158.

State Railway of Thailand ASR class - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The ASR class units were originally painted in Regional Railways livery. (Photo shows a three-car ASR class train with advertising wraps covering part of the original livery.)

File:Sprinter2509.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

Video of a journey on an ASR class train in 2023:

It's March 2023 and i'm in Bangkok, Thailand. Back in 1991 British Rail Engineering Ltd at Derby supplied the State Railways of Thailand 20 Class 158 Sprinter DMU's. They were pulled from the BR Regional Railways production line, ammended for Thai Railways needs (Metre gauge, inward opening slam doors, standard buck-eye couplers) and delivered in Regional Railways livery. Thirty yeras later there are still 2 three car sets running, now only on Saturday & Sundays on trains 997 & 998 from Bangkok to Ban Phtu La Luang (near Rayong Province) & return. They are now in SRT livery and on this upload we see my trip set 2505+2120+2508 from Bangkok Hua Lampong to Pattaya. We see shots inside of car 2120, the other servicable unit in the sidings outside Hua Lampong and of this unitarriving and departing.

 

[jamie56]

The ASR class is based on the Class 158, but is metre gauge and has slam doors instead of the plug doors on the 158.

State Railway of Thailand ASR class - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The ASR class units were originally painted in Regional Railways livery. (Photo shows a three-car ASR class train with advertising wraps covering part of the original livery.)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:sprinter2509.jpg

Video of a journey on an ASR class train in 2023:

The ASR class is based on the Class 158, but is metre gauge and has slam doors instead of the plug doors on the 158.

State Railway of Thailand ASR class - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The ASR class units were originally painted in Regional Railways livery. (Photo shows a three-car ASR class train with advertising wraps covering part of the original livery.)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:sprinter2509.jpg

Video of a journey on an ASR class train in 2023:

Thanks for the vid and the info

 

[dutchflyer]

When they were newly delivered that were used for a kind of ´IC´ faster train offer on main routes out of BKK to major provincial centres-and as usual in THailand with any new stock with higher fares. But this withered away and around 2000 had mostly vanished.
THat service mentioned passes by Pattaya, that famous seaside town, and ends Ban Phu Ta Luang (which more or less serves a major navy port-Sattaheep) and is a kind of excursion type for the citydwellers to go seaside.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When they were newly delivered that were used for a kind of ´IC´ faster train offer on main routes out of BKK to major provincial centres-and as usual in THailand with any new stock with higher fares. But this withered away and around 2000 had mostly vanished.

Those "Super Express DRC" (diesel railcar) services still exist, but are mostly operated using the Korean DMUs rather than the 158s, confusingly these too are often known as Sprinters.

 

[jamie56]

Those "Super Express DRC" (diesel railcar) services still exist, but are mostly operated using the Korean DMUs rather than the 158s, confusingly these too are often known as Sprinters.

Might be known as sprinters because of there speed?

 

[Bungle158]

I travelled in one of these sets, immediately pre covid, between Padang Besar on the Malaysia border and Hat Yai. (Sunday service).

I used to work 158s in the UK, so the journey was a slightly surreal experience. I did manage a chat with the crew though, who seemed happy enough with their ageing train.

Seating layout was more spacious than the UK version and seats themselves had obviously been designed for premium use, although l couldn't find a recliner that worked.

 

[Fincra5]

I was hoping there would be more than a couple of sets, as I'm off to Thailand in May, and might not be given the luxury of time to do the Weekend Special to Pattaya.

 

[TheFiend]

I've been on one of these sprinters..... On service 998... that train only runs at the weekend. From what I can understand from some Thai enthusiasts on Facebook there is currently only one unit serviceable and available for use.

The EMU's on the Airport Rail Link are base on the Class 360.

There is quite a bit of loco-hauled action in Thailand, I go out to Thailand 2 or 3 times a year and try have a few days having some loco-haulage, catching an overnight sleeper down to Bangkok and then down to Pattaya.

Ticket prices are insanely cheap in Thailand - Bangkok to Pattaya on service 283/284 (which is loco-hauled) is about £0.70 (31 Baht), although the price is higher for 997/998 around £4.00 (170 Baht)!!!

2505 on Train 998 23/11/2019 at Pattaya Station