Lopburi's connectivity is built around rail, and the shape of it changed on 5 December 2025. The Northern Line's double-track now bypasses the old town on a viaduct, and the fast Bangkok–Chiang Mai trains call at a brand-new elevated station, Lopburi 2, in Tha Wung district — about 12 km from the centre. The original station keeps the commuter, local and ordinary services. Highway 1 still carries the buses and vans, there is no airport, and there is no mass transit locally. So the first practical question here is no longer “how far am I from the station?” but “which station, and for which train?”
How people get to and around Lopburi
Read this first — Lopburi now has two railway stations, and they do different jobs
Every guide written before December 2025, including the earlier version of this one, tells you that Lopburi's town-centre station is where the Bangkok–Chiang Mai trains stop. That stopped being true on 5 December 2025. The State Railway opened a second station, Lopburi 2, on a newly built elevated bypass, and moved the long-distance services onto it. The two stations are about 12 km apart and the new one is not in Mueang Lopburi at all — it is in Tha Wung district. If you book an Express or Special Express seat expecting to step off in the old town, you will not. Nothing about this shows up on an English-language search for "Lopburi train station", which is exactly why it is the first thing on this page.
Lopburi 2 — the elevated bypass station for long-distance trains
Lopburi 2 handles the fast Northern-Line services: 14 Special Express, Express and Rapid trains running to and from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, among them trains 7/8 and 13/14 to Chiang Mai, the CNR-built Uttarawithi 9/10, the 51/52 Express, and Rapid services 102, 107/108, 109 and 111/112 toward Chiang Mai and Den Chai. It exists for a specific reason worth knowing: the double-track alignment could not be pushed through the old town without affecting Phra Prang Sam Yot and San Phra Kan, so the railway went around and went up. The result is a 19 km viaduct between Ban Klap and Khok Kathiam running parallel to Highway 366, averaging 10 to 20 metres above ground — the longest elevated railway structure in Thailand — with the project's single station on top of it. The station building has three levels: ground level for parking and pick-up, a concourse and ticketing floor, and the platforms above, with lifts, toilets and a left-luggage room. The State Railway states plainly that there is no baggage-handling service, so plan to carry your own bags up.
Lopburi station (the original) — commuter, local and ordinary trains
The original station in the old town has not closed and is not a museum piece. It keeps 13 ordinary, commuter and local services plus freight, which means the cheap stopping trains down to Ayutthaya and Bangkok — the ones that make Lopburi work as a low-cost base within reach of the capital — still run from within walking distance of King Narai's Palace and Phra Prang Sam Yot. What it no longer has is the fast train. For a same-day round trip to a Bangkok appointment, check which class of train you have booked before you decide which station to leave from.
Getting between the two stations
When Lopburi 2 opened, the railway ran a free connecting bus between the two stations — upbound it left the old station 30 minutes before the train departed, downbound it met each arrival at Lopburi 2. That arrangement was announced for the transition period, 5 December 2025 to 5 March 2026. We can find no State Railway announcement extending it, so treat the free shuttle as expired unless you confirm otherwise on the SRT customer line, 1690. Separately, the provincial transport office put a scheduled songthaew on the run: route 6168, Lopburi–Ban Khoi, serving Lopburi bus terminal to Lopburi 2 at roughly 30 minutes per round trip. Budget 20–30 minutes each way by car and do not cut it fine — the highway is fine, but you are adding a leg that did not exist a year ago.
What the double-track actually bought you
The reason for all this is speed, and the gains are real but modest rather than transformative. With the Lopburi–Pak Nam Pho double-track open — 148 km, opened in stages from 26 May 2025 — Bangkok–Chiang Mai runs about 25 minutes faster on Express and Special Express services and about an hour faster on ordinary trains. Signalling was still being installed when the Department of Rail Transport inspected the line in November 2025, at 78.93% complete, with the railway running on an electronic token system in the meantime. Khok Kathiam is designated to become a junction station in future. The bigger prize — up to 2 hours 20 minutes off Bangkok–Chiang Mai — needs the Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai and Den Chai–Chiang Mai phases, which were still awaiting cabinet approval as of late 2025 and have no opening date.
Road — the Highway 1 bus & van hub
Lopburi sits on Highway 1 (Phahonyothin), the main road north out of Bangkok, and is well served by buses and vans to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Sawan and the northeast. The bus terminal runs frequent services, and the road network ties the outer districts — Phatthana Nikhom, Chai Badan, Khok Samrong and Ban Mi — back to the city. With the fast trains now leaving from Tha Wung, the bus has become a more competitive option for a Bangkok day trip than it was, because it still departs from town.
The Pa Sak floating train (seasonal, and it is genuinely seasonal)
Once a year in the cool season the State Railway runs its special tourist train across the crest of the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam in Phatthana Nikhom district — the "floating train", so called because the track appears to run on the surface of Thailand's largest reservoir. The 2025–26 season ran weekends from November 2025 to February 2026, 24 operating days in all, with booking opening on 17 October 2025. It sells out. The following season's dates had not been published when this page was last reviewed, so check the State Railway before you plan a visit around it, and do not assume it runs outside the cool months — it does not.
Local — songthaews, tuk-tuks & motorbikes
There is no BTS or MRT, and no commercial airport in the province — the nearest is Bangkok's Don Mueang. Within the city, residents rely on songthaews, Lopburi's distinctive tuk-tuks, motorbike taxis and ride-hailing where available. For anyone living in the New Town, Khok Kathiam or the outer districts, a personal motorbike or car is the practical default, since distances from the Old Town are real — and since December 2025 the case for having your own vehicle is stronger than it was, because the fast-train station is now a drive away rather than a walk.
Getting-around questions
Which Lopburi station does my train use?
It depends on the class of train. Since 5 December 2025 the 14 Special Express, Express and Rapid services to and from Krung Thep Aphiwat call at Lopburi 2, the elevated bypass station in Tha Wung district, about 12 km from the old town. Ordinary, commuter and local trains — 13 services plus freight — still use the original Lopburi station in the centre. Check your ticket before you set out; the two stations are a 20–30 minute drive apart.
Why did they build a second station instead of upgrading the old one?
Heritage. The Lopburi–Pak Nam Pho double-track could not be widened through the old town without affecting Phra Prang Sam Yot and San Phra Kan, so the new alignment goes around the city and up onto a 19 km viaduct running parallel to Highway 366 — the longest elevated railway structure in Thailand, averaging 10 to 20 metres above ground. Lopburi 2 is the only station on that section.
Is there still a free shuttle between Lopburi and Lopburi 2?
Treat it as expired unless you confirm otherwise. The State Railway ran a free connecting bus between the two stations for the transition period it announced as 5 December 2025 to 5 March 2026, and we can find no announcement extending it. The provincial transport office also routed a scheduled songthaew — route 6168, Lopburi–Ban Khoi — between Lopburi bus terminal and Lopburi 2, at roughly 30 minutes per round trip. Confirm current arrangements on the SRT customer line, 1690.
What's the best way to get to Lopburi from Bangkok?
Still the train, but pick your station. A Special Express or Express from Krung Thep Aphiwat is the fastest way into the province and now lands you at Lopburi 2 in Tha Wung, with a further drive into town. A commuter or ordinary train is slower and cheaper and takes you straight into the old town. Buses and vans on Highway 1 remain a real alternative and, unlike the fast trains, they still arrive in the city. There is no airport in the province.
How much faster is the line since the double-track opened?
Modestly faster, honestly stated: about 25 minutes off Bangkok–Chiang Mai for Express and Special Express services and about an hour for ordinary trains, following the staged opening of the 148 km Lopburi–Pak Nam Pho double-track from 26 May 2025. The much larger saving quoted in the press — up to 2 hours 20 minutes — depends on the Pak Nam Pho–Den Chai and Den Chai–Chiang Mai phases, which had not been approved for construction as of late 2025 and have no opening date.
Does Lopburi have public transport?
There's no BTS or MRT. Local transport is songthaews, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis, plus ride-hailing where available. It works for the Old Town, but most residents outside the walkable core keep a motorbike or car — and the opening of an out-of-town rail station 12 km away has made that more true, not less.
Is there an airport in Lopburi?
No — Lopburi has no commercial airport. The nearest is Bangkok's Don Mueang, about two to two-and-a-half hours south by road or rail. Lopburi is a rail and road city, and the Northern Line does most of the heavy lifting.
Do I need a car in Lopburi?
In the Old Town you can manage without one — you can walk, cycle or use songthaews and tuk-tuks, and the commuter trains keep Bangkok within reach. In the New Town, Khok Kathiam or the outer districts, a car or motorbike is the practical default. If you expect to use the fast trains regularly, factor in the run out to Lopburi 2 in Tha Wung every time.
Sources & References
- State Railway of Thailand
- SRT — opening of Lopburi 2 station, 5 December 2025 (Thairath)
- Department of Rail Transport — Lopburi 2 readiness inspection & the 14 long-distance trains
- Government Contact Centre — Pa Sak Jolasid special tourist train, Nov 2025–Feb 2026
- Pa Sak Jolasid Dam — Wikipedia
- Tourism Authority of Thailand
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Hero photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels. Train times, station allocations and the inter-station connecting service all changed in late 2025 and can change again — confirm with the State Railway (customer line 1690) before you travel, especially for the seasonal Pa Sak service.
