NX Logistics Thailand participates in JR Freight's Thailand-Laos cross-border rail demonstration test

SOUTHEAST ASIA, SOUTH ASIA, OCEANIA
2026/06/26
-- Verifying the commercial viability of a new cross-border rail logistics service through actual operations –

Nippon Express Logistics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (President: Masato Tanabe; hereinafter "NX Logistics Thailand"), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC. (President: Satoshi Horikiri), has participated in a cross-border rail demonstration test between Thailand and Laos being conducted by Japan Freight Railway Company (President: Shin Inukai; hereinafter "JR Freight"), and a departure ceremony was held at Chonburi Station in Thailand on Tuesday, June 16.

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(Departure ceremony)

 

■ Background

 Against a backdrop of expanding manufacturing clusters and increasingly active logistics flows with neighboring countries, Southeast Asia has been moving ahead with the development of stable and efficient international transportation networks. Thailand in particular plays a central role in the region's broader logistics network as one of Southeast Asia's leading manufacturing bases, and has been enhancing transport infrastructure linking industrial zones, ports, and border areas. In recent years, investment in rail infrastructure has also been accelerating through projects such as double-tracking, route extensions, and freight station development, heightening expectations for rail freight transport as a transportation mode that can help reduce environmental impact while diversifying transport options.

 At the same time, rail freight transport in Thailand has not yet become fully established as a user-friendly transportation option for shippers due to the complexity of procedures and operational rules. For Japanese companies in particular, practical hurdles remain high, making it important to conduct verification through actual operations and promote initiatives toward commercialization.

 Against this backdrop, NX Logistics Thailand participated in this demonstration transport to cooperate with JR Freight in its study of freight rail transport business in Southeast Asia.

 

■ Overview of the demonstration test

 In this Thailand-Laos rail freight demonstration transport conducted by JR Freight, a regular freight train operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) was used to conduct round-trip transportation between Chonburi Station in Thailand and Thanaleng Dry Port Station in Laos, using containers arranged by three Japanese forwarders, including one NX Group-owned container. The NX Group-owned container was loaded with 16 steel pallets fitted with data loggers*, enabling the acquisition of data such as vibration levels during transport.

[Transportation using the NX Group-owned container]
Route: Chonburi Station, Thailand - Thanaleng Dry Port Station, Laos
・Transport distance: Approximately 650 km
・Transport details: Round-trip demonstration transport using an NX Group-owned container
・Cargo loaded: 16 steel pallets fitted with data loggers
・Main verification items: Customs clearance, transport quality, vibration, lead time, transport costs, rail-related documentation, and operational schemes

 

 The NX Group remains committed to meeting customers' needs by providing high-quality logistics services and promoting initiatives aimed at realizing a sustainable society.

 

* An electronic measuring device that automatically measures various environmental data and physical quantities, such as temperature, humidity, voltage, pressure, and shock, through sensors and continuously records and stores them over a certain period