SRT ready to build initial part of Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima high speed rail project

[webfact]

SRT ready to build initial part of Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima high speed rail project

 

 

BANGKOK, 18 December 2017 (NNT) – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is scheduled to begin to build an initial part of the Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima high speed rail project on 21 December 2017. 

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that on 21 December 2017 the SRT's high speed rail project, being built under cooperation between Thailand and China, will hold a ceremony marking the commencement of the construction of the Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima stretch. 

The ceremony, to be presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, will take place at the 170th kilometer milestone in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima section is the first phase of the project which will eventually terminate in Nong Khai, a northeastern province which shares border with Laos. 

The project is considered the second revolution in Thai rail transport history, the transport minister said. 

The first phase of the construction will be for the 3.5-kilometer section between Klang Dong and Pang Asok stations in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, costing 424 million baht. The construction will be carried out by the Department of Highways, which has the expertise in infrastructure construction.

 

-- nnt 2017-12-19

[ratcatcher]

His colleagues look thoroughly bored. not surprising though.

[Ricardo]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand and China, will hold a ceremony marking the commencement of the construction of the Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima stretch. 

And yet two years ago, on 15th December 2015  ...

 

"The ground was broken on Saturday for Chinese and Thai companies to build the first standard-gauge railway in Thailand, applying China's technology, standard and equipment, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) said.

Earlier on Saturday, a launching ceremony was held at Chiang Rak Noi Station in central Thailand's Ayutthaya province, according to the CRC."

 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/19/c_134933593.htm

 

Some of us may well remember pictures of this, they planted a flag on the (existing, narrow-gauge) track, to mark the commencement of the construction ?

 

Oh well, it must be a two-ceremonies-for-the-price-of-one  Special-Offer !

 

And what was that, in the linked-story, about it being  "the first standard-gauge railway in Thailand" ?  What gauge is the ARL or the BTS-Skytrain, for heavens' sake ?  And wasn't the SRT's own Northern-line originally built as standard-gauge, too ?  

[harrymcgarry]

Full steam ahead till erm it's not full steam ahead 

 

[ChrisY1]

Commissions almost sorted then??

[alfalfa19]

Is that the Thai Mister Magoo on the left?

 

[PatOngo]

The construction will be carried out by the Department of Highways, which has the expertise in infrastructure construction.

 

Well if that doesn't instill confidence, what does?  

[wvavin]

Base on their track record, we just hope there is a minimal derailment during the operation. 

[PAIBKK]

Maybe finished in 2117...

 

Or just another never ending Thai project.

Edited December 19, 2017 by PAIBKK

[zaZa9]

Hmmm...  the officials and their  cronies must  finally have  bought up all the land in the rail corridor ...  Its ,  'all systems go' as  they can now resell it , at a greatly inflated rate,  to the SRT and its Chinese backers.

[Ossy]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is scheduled to begin to build [the] high speed rail project on 21 December 2017. 

That is to say, in just 3 DAYS FROM NOW a multi-billion baht railway-build project should be started. Maybe it's 'cos I'm a born sceptic or 'cos, being English, I apply a different interpretation of the phrase 'is scheduled to' than they do in the dynamic, positive-thinking country that is Thailand.

In good old England, the phrase means that something is planned - on paper or spreadsheet - to begin on that proposed date; i.e. it should and, more than likely, will happen, but there is the explicit chance that it may not take place on that date . . . it is merely planned, hoped and expected and everything other than guaranteed.

Now, here in Bangkok, we've got the SRT hierarchy saying, in the full public glare, that a multi-billion baht railway-build project 'is scheduled to begin' in 3 day's time . . . not 3 years time but 3 DAYS TIME. Does 'scheduled' mean that it will begin or that it is planned to begin? . . . such a massive difference in outcomes, just two days from now. OK, I accept that, when Arkhom says 'begin', he may mean (A) that a few sods are cut at either end of the proposed route, as opposed to (B) a fleet of giant excavators start carving up the capital . . . again.

The sceptic in me says it will be (A) and that it will be many months before SRT really 'begin to build' the high speed train.

 

Odds on, it's just the usual talking-up of everything the Junta is involved with. Lethargic PRATS, the lot of 'em!

[NextStationBangkok]

China investment means, basically it is going to be a takeover by China after project is completed.

 

They have been doing this for many countries around the world.

 

First they give loan, and grab the territory and the project from the country they invest.

 

Hope Thailand will have strong policies to stop this happening in the future.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/world/asia/sri-lanka-china-port.html

[bluesofa]

43 minutes ago, PAIBKK said:

Maybe finished in 2117...

 

Or just another never ending Thai project.

Isn't that a misprint?

Another never starting Thai project.

[tinca tinca]

The construction will be carried out by the Department of Highways, which has the expertise in infrastructure construction. so why did it take so long to build the tunnel..if they are experts??????????

Edited December 19, 2017 by tinca tinca
after thought

[tinca tinca]

the tunnel being the infamous one on Sukhumvit Pattata

[The Deerhunter]

Hmmmm   Today's news:    Six dead after US Amtrak train derails and plunges off bridge near Seattle

"The derailment happened on the first day that Amtrak trains began using a new track between the cities of Tacoma and Olympia in Washington state, according to a news release from the state's transportation department.

The train was making an inaugural run for higher speed service, and local officials had reportedly warned of dangers.

Seventy-eight passengers and five crew members were aboard when the train derailed about 64km south of Seattle just before 8am (local time) Amtrak said."

 

So how many level crossings or bridges over Highways will the new line have?

[dunque]

2 hours ago, wvavin said:

Base on their track record, we just hope there is a minimal derailment during the operation. 

(cough)(Amtrak)(cough)

[Grumpy Duck]

I wonder if the expert highway department will retain the services of ItalThai engeneering? I have been awaiting the completion of the bts link to Dom Myong for about 3 years. Still just sitting there. 

Perhaps the money ran out and they bounce around on Rachayothin to spend more. 

[lincolnshire poacher]

5 hours ago, Ricardo said:

And yet two years ago, on 15th December 2015  ...

 

"The ground was broken on Saturday for Chinese and Thai companies to build the first standard-gauge railway in Thailand, applying China's technology, standard and equipment, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) said.

Earlier on Saturday, a launching ceremony was held at Chiang Rak Noi Station in central Thailand's Ayutthaya province, according to the CRC."

 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/19/c_134933593.htm

 

Some of us may well remember pictures of this, they planted a flag on the (existing, narrow-gauge) track, to mark the commencement of the construction ?

 

Oh well, it must be a two-ceremonies-for-the-price-of-one  Special-Offer !

 

And what was that, in the linked-story, about it being  "the first standard-gauge railway in Thailand" ?  What gauge is the ARL or the BTS-Skytrain, for heavens' sake ?  And wasn't the SRT's own Northern-line originally built as standard-gauge, too ?  

Until September 1919, the route to Chiang Mai was standard gauge. In their infinite wisdom,Thai Railways decided to make the whole network metre gauge

[lincolnshire poacher]

5 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Commissions almost sorted then??

Probably not, that could be the reason why the guys in the picture are looking bored.

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

I wonder if the expert highway department will retain the services of ItalThai engeneering? I have been awaiting the completion of the bts link to Dom Myong for about 3 years. Still just sitting there. 

Perhaps the money ran out and they bounce around on Rachayothin to spend more. 

I estimate it will be at least 4 years to complete that 10km slow train section Mot chit to the Royal Thai Naval Academy. About 2.5km per year.

On that basis the first 200km leg Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima will likely take 80+ years and be finished about year 2100.

Then they can start on the Nakhon Ratchasima - Nong Khai leg which is about 380km and that should take another 136 years and be completed by the year 2235.

Allowing for inflation, tickets BKK - NK will by then probably cost about 1,000,000 baht.

[Cadbury]

8 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Oh well, it must be a two-ceremonies-for-the-price-of-one 

Why stop at two opening ceremonies? Why not a third and even a fourth in the years to come?

Which reminds me of the great non-event opening ceremony of the new blue China/Malaysian buses in January this year where PM Prayut was going to buy the first ticket in front of a huge media rollout. Fail!

[Ricardo]

33 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Why stop at two opening ceremonies? Why not a third and even a fourth in the years to come?

Which reminds me of the great non-event opening ceremony of the new blue China/Malaysian buses in January this year where PM Prayut was going to buy the first ticket in front of a huge media rollout. Fail!

 

Typical of buses, you wait years for one to arrive, and then 400 come all at the same time !

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm guessing, they're having the Dept of Highways do the construction of the initial phase because...

 

If the SRT built it, they'd be sure to have recurring crashes and derailments.

 

But if the Department of Highways builds it, they'll never have to worry about crashes and derailments, because the trains will never run because the tracks will subside and be washed away by flooding before service ever commences.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm guessing, they're having the Dept of Highways do the construction of the initial phase because...

 

If the SRT built it, they'd be sure to have recurring crashes and derailments.

 

But if the Department of Highways builds it, they'll never have to worry about crashes and derailments, because the trains will never run because the tracks will subside and be washed away by flooding before service ever commences.

 

 

[Sir Dude]

A cheery looking bunch in that article photo.

[mikiea]

11 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

His colleagues look thoroughly bored. not surprising though.

no envelops for

 them 

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by mikiea

[Hupaponics]

I'm confused. 

So what are they building now? 

I thougt it was elevated train something, high speed or not. The construction is going fast though. 

Station in Khon Kaen and along the road south of Korat and many other places, what is that then?

Edited December 19, 2017 by Hupaponics
Misspelled word

[MartinBangkok]

" ...the second revolution in Thai rail transport history.."

 

What? Has there been a first Thai train revolution? Or any transport revolution of any kind?

 

[natway09]

The headline is misleading as the SRT have NEVER been ready for anything except collecting 

rents.

What they should have done & what our lord & master who loves trains & spending hard earned tax payers money should do is a decent freight rail to Lam Chabang port & get 1,000 trucks a day off the road.

Aw sorry, the trucking companies are like the police  "untouchable