BANGKOK (May 3): Malaysia and Thailand intend to revive the direct train service between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok this year, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the service could be rolled out swiftly, as it would make use of the existing railway line linking Bangkok, Padang Besar, Butterworth, and Kuala Lumpur.

“Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd [KTM] and the State Railway of Thailand [SRT] have been given three months to carry out initial preparations to begin the Kuala Lumpur–Bangkok train operations.

“This doesn’t require a new track but does call for coordination, joint marketing, and cooperative ticketing between the two countries,” he said after concluding a one-day working visit to Thailand on Friday.

During the visit, Loke met with Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit. He also toured the Bang Sue Central Terminal and received a briefing on the country’s high-speed rail services.

Meanwhile, Loke also said that the Thai authorities had proposed extending rail services from Sungai Golok to Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas in Malaysia.

He welcomed the proposal as a positive step with the potential to boost local economies and improve livelihoods in the border region.

“We will need time to prepare for reviving the railway link between Sungai Golok, Rantau Panjang, and Pasir Mas.

“This is because track restoration work is required on the long-unused railway lines in Rantau Panjang and Sungai Golok,” he added.

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