The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced a special train journey to mark its 128th anniversary, offering passengers the opportunity to travel on historic steam locomotives from Bangkok to Ayutthaya on March 26.

The event commemorates the inauguration of Thailand’s railway link between the former and current capital cities, first opened by King Rama V on March 26, 1896, now observed as SRT Foundation Day.

The one-day journey will be operated by two Pacific-class steam locomotives, numbers 824 and 850, built by Japan’s Nippon Sharyo in 1949 and 1950. These locomotives are typically housed at the Thonburi Locomotive Depot in Bangkok.

The train will depart from Hua Lamphong station at 8:10 am, arriving at Ayutthaya station at 10:20 am.

Passengers will have six hours to explore the historic city before the return journey, departing at 4:40 pm and arriving back in Bangkok at 6:50 pm.

Stops are scheduled at Bang Sue and Rangsit stations for boarding and disembarking.

Tickets are priced at 329 baht for standard cabins and 799 baht for air-conditioned cabins, with refreshments included.

Reservations are available at all SRT stations nationwide or through the D-Ticket mobile application.

In addition to the anniversary event, SRT has announced five more special train journeys using steam locomotives for national celebrations in 2024:

June 3: Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom for HM Queen Suthida’s birthday.

July 28: Bangkok to Ayutthaya for HM King Rama X’s birthday.

August 12: Bangkok to Chachoengsao for HM Queen Sirikit’s birthday, also recognized as Mother’s Day in Thailand.

October 23: Bangkok to Ayutthaya for King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day.

December 5: Bangkok to Chachoengsao for King Rama IX’s birthday, celebrated as Father’s Day.

These special train services aim to promote Thailand’s railway heritage while offering passengers a nostalgic travel experience on vintage locomotives.