International Express

The International Express (Thai: รถด่วนพิเศษระหว่างประเทศ; Malay: Ekspres Antarbangsa) is an express train between Bangkok, Thailand and Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.

This train's passenger cars include 1st- and 2nd-class air-conditioned sleepers, and an air-conditioned dining car. Powerful Diesel Electric locomotives such as HID (Hitachi - 2500 HP) and GEA (General Electric - 2500 HP) are used to drive this express.

The original name for this express was Southern Express. It was introduced on January 2, 1922 with sleeping cars, double-headed by two E-class locos, and ran weekly on every Monday (increased to twice a week - Wednesday and Saturday by 1930) from Bangkok Noy terminus (now Thonburi station).

The Termminus has changed from Bangkok Noy to Bangkok after the opening of Rama VI bridge on January 1, 1927.

Hanomag Pacific locos replaced E-class locos in 1929, and diesel locomotives had replaced Hanomag locomotives on December 2, 1931.

It was reduced a Wednesday-only service from 1940 to 1945.

The service was temporarily suspended from March 15, 1950 to January 2, 1954 due to war damage on the Southern line by bombs from Allied Forces during WWII as well as the insurgencies in Southern Thailand and Northern Malayu. The destruction of the Rama VI Bridge had compelled Thai State Railways [TSR] (replaced Royal State Railways [RSR] from August 16, 1939 to 1945) to use Thonburi (Bangkok Noy) as the terminal for the International Express and the Hat Yai express from January 2, 1944.

Hatyai Express (Bangkok - Hat Yai) was the substituted during the reduction of International service as well as during the suspension of International services even though it was introduced on April 3, 1939 (every Friday) to meet increasing demands from those who live in Songkla and deep Southern provinces. Hat Yai Express was extended to Sugei Golok in January 1942. It was back to Hat Yai after 1945.

The International service was resumed on the old schedule on January 2, 1954 after concluding the cross border treaty between SRT and FMSR.

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