Work to begin on Thai - Japan "Bullet Train" in 2019

[Orton Rd]

11 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Unless every crossing in the country is staffed by round the clock guards to stop idiot car and truck and bike drivers, then this project is totally doomed to failure before it begins.

Even if so the guards would be drunk, asleep or AWOL 

[Jeremy50]

50 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Countries that look into the future, work on large infrastructure projects. This is a big step for Thailand. The railway has been substandard for decades. Bangkok has fantastic mass transit. It would be a good thing to bring that to the rest of the nation, and a great thing, to have viable alternatives to air travel, as the airports seem to be operating at near capacity. This is visionary stuff. So what if it costs a fortune. Thailand has the money to pull this off. Just have to wean the military a bit. Not like they have major battles to fight. Well, at least when one excludes the will of the public. 

I'm tempted to de rude, but instead, why don't you take a screen shot of your post, then refer back to it in ten years time, and despair that you ever wrote it.  'visionary stuff'

[ZAKY]

Very good project, many people will prefer the train than plane even if it not as fast will be compensated by  the time wasted to go to airports which are always found outside towns 

[LALes]

"Under sea by rail.  90 minutes from New York to Paris, yeah by '76, we'll be A-OK."

How did that one turn out?

Gotta admit these folk at least kept their dreams manageable.  Phitsanulok.  Baby steps.

[Tracyb]

I'm moving to Chiang Mai this week.......but I won't be holding my breath while waiting to see this construction project get off the ground.  OBTW, whatever happened to all those new buses that were supposed to hit the streets here in Bangkok?  Are they still being held up in Customs?  SMH.

[spidermike007]

4 minutes ago, Jeremy50 said:

I'm tempted to de rude, but instead, why don't you take a screen shot of your post, then refer back to it in ten years time, and despair that you ever wrote it.  'visionary stuff'

It is not often that I use the term visionary, and Thailand in the same paragraph, or sentence. I consider Thailand to be one of the least visionary, or progressive cultures, or countries on the planet. But, when it comes to mass transit, and infrastructure, I am of the belief that it is well worth the investment, assuming they are getting multiple, open bids on the projects.

[White Boong]

OMG they cannot even drive Cars or Motorbikes how in the Bloody hell are they go with  a Bullet Train roaring down the tracks .They dont stop at Crosswalks do you think they are going to stop at Train Crossings watch the road toll skyrocket.

[CLW]

Recently been on a 15 day bullet train trip around japan, it’s the way to go, business like seats, the advantages over air travel is that it takes the hassle out of getting to the airport hours before your flight, no bag scanning, drops you of in the centre of town, always on time, if the Thais can follow the Japanese lead it would be a success, I would use it,

Not only Japan, China as well

[stevkob]

5 minutes ago, White Boong said:

OMG they cannot even drive Cars or Motorbikes how in the Bloody hell are they go with  a Bullet Train roaring down the tracks .They dont stop at Crosswalks do you think they are going to stop at Train Crossings watch the road toll skyrocket.

 

Yeah it'll have a new special Thai design with a snow plough front end

 

[Elfin]

8 minutes ago, White Boong said:

OMG they cannot even drive Cars or Motorbikes how in the Bloody hell are they go with  a Bullet Train roaring down the tracks .They dont stop at Crosswalks do you think they are going to stop at Train Crossings watch the road toll skyrocket.

The "Bullet" train will probably be built on a dedicated elevated track so there will not be any crossings-maybe it will even be caged as well?

[Old Croc]

For those with little concept of how high speed or "bullet" trains work, please try to understand that they won't be using existing rail lines.

The 300kph+ trains wont be going through level crossings or coming into conflict with vehicle traffic anywhere. They will have dedicated tracks and overpasses to keep them clear of even the dopiest Thai driver.

 

I just wish that Bangkok would occasionally look southwards and build something similar to include Phuket.

[ratcatcher]

It must puzzle some people as to why there is this fixation with building expensive HST railways when Thailand with a total population in excess of 67 million, has one major population centre, Bangkok and several large cities e.g,  Chiang Mai, Korat, Hat Yai and Udon Thani etc.

Bangkok has a population of nearly 10 million, Chiang Mai, about 2 million.

Most of the major industries are centered on the eastern seaboard provinces of Chonburi and Rayong.

Japan OTOH has a population of about 127 million and at least 10 major cities with populations in excess of 1 million people.

Anyone who has been to Japan and China knows how the system works as many of their cities are major industrial centres. What major industries are in Chiang Mai, Korat, Khon Kaen etc?

Even in the U.K., there are many major cities and this in a country with slightly less people than Thailand.

Running Bullet Trains to dear old Phitsanulok makes me wonder who is in charge of the cheque book.

 

                                                                                           

[Eric Loh]

I doubt the viability of the project has been debated in the NLA. We missed those days when Parliament will be rowdy with MPs questioning the funding source and pressuring the elected government to present a cost viability of the project. 

[CLW]

I very welcome investment in modern infrastructure but is this really necessary? Are there no other urgent hot spots where public transport needs to be improved? How about the fast growing cities and tourist regions like Chiang Mai, Korat, Khon Khaen, Phuket, Pattaya etc.
They should get some decent public transport system first.
Take Bangkok as an example. I think it is on a good way now but of course planning and construction takes time.
So the mistake of a late start could be avoided in the above mentioned cities or regions.

[Oligabba]

2 hours ago, twizzian said:

 

Will the driver be professionally trained & or have a lot of experience just like the bus drivers here?

Will the train be maintained & brakes fixed to the stds that we know here?

Then I just might!

I have similar thoughts. Without wanting to be too condescending or negative I'd recommend Japanese control of operations and maintenance for a few years.  

[DonaldBattles]

4 hours ago, blackcab said:

How much will the tickets cost? Will the tickets be cheaper than catching a plane? Will the train be faster than a plane?

 

How is the maintenance going to be funded?

 

2 hours ago, twizzian said:

 

Will the driver be professionally trained & or have a lot of experience just like the bus drivers here?

Will the train be maintained & brakes fixed to the stds that we know here?

Then I just might!

 

4 hours ago, blackcab said:

How much will the tickets cost? Will the tickets be cheaper than catching a plane? Will the train be faster than a plane?

 

How is the maintenance going to be funded?

Tickets will be expensive but have to be reasonable. Time is money and people will pay for bypassing the airport. The Japanese will be here forever supervising the maintenance. This along with the Chinese train from Kunming will serve Thailand well. The Laos portion is well under way with 10% complete. The Chinese are digging 85 tunnels. It will cross over in Nong Khai going to Bangkok.

[DonaldBattles]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Oh !  I thought we were going to get a crappy Chinese train system.

I think you will find the high speed trains in China are world class. Thailand will accept no less. Not how the longest train in the world leaves China going to Frankfort and branching to the UK 3 times per week. The Silk road has been opened.  

[Surasak]

Japanese ambassador Shiro Sadoshima said that the Japanese have worldwide renown in train technology and reliability and would train the Thai staff to a high standard. 

I wish you the very best of luck with that, Mr Shiro Sadoshima!

[Surasak]

21 minutes ago, Oligabba said:

I have similar thoughts. Without wanting to be too condescending or negative I'd recommend Japanese control of operations and maintenance for a few years.  

Nothing like a little optimism!

[Rangerdriver]

Payments made = Build delayed... Yawn!

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[hansnl]

4 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Very good, more money spent on infrastructure ,the less their will be in the pot for military spending on unnecessary hardware, that are a waste of tax money, (air ship, sub, ) and I am sure many more examples of wastage, Another journey by train I look forward to  making.

Seen the ongoing misery in the south, threatening situations in the west, old and unfit material, not all military spendings are unnecessary and very much defendable.

I do agree with you that after many years of standstill, this government moves.

Although high speed rail competing with the existing system that is being upgraded at the moment, will probably mean operating at a loss of both systems.

[Machiavelli]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Oh !  I thought we were going to get a crappy Chinese train system.

Must be the American 19th century train system you are talking about.

[a10ams]

[bluesofa]

"Plans are now in the final stages of approval"..."start 2019"...does not compute.

 

[Lucky mike]

With history of preventative maintenance and service this looks like a winner ?

[Justified]

This is a good thing for Thailand, connecting the provinces with decent infrastructure allows for growth and greater prosperity in these areas.

The negativity on this is disappointing, I ask you to look back at when the BTS was being built and the same comments were made, trains falling off tracks, badly maintained, commercial disaster. Now BKK has one of the best Mass Transit systems in the Region.

Or perhaps another project, Suvarnabhumi Airport. Apparently was going to sink in to the swamp and the runways would be unusable within 2 years. Didn’t happen! The only real problems there are with processes, but largely the Airport is excellent.

Also, the argument surrounding cars, people, motorcycles, bikes on tracks was the same in China, yet they managed to introduce high speed without issue, and it works well.

Corruption is everywhere, more so, and to much greater values, in our own home countries. Will there be corruption, of course, as there is with most major projects worldwide.

Thailand is a Developing Country, it needs these kind of Major Projects to progress.

I look forward to riding on this train.


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[zzidenn]

In Europe we have the Thalys, it can do up to 350kmh in Belgium and France.

 

[Justified]

In Europe we have the Thalys, it can do up to 350kmh in Belgium and France.
 

And it is a fantastic train system


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[Hupaponics]

The train might have the capacity of high speed, but what about the vendors on the track? In urban areas it have to go slow...

 

 

[Aforek]

Bangkok to Phitsanulok, 375 kms, 6 stations between, how fast will it  go ? why to build a fast train to run about 80 kms ?