Short of trains, Airport Rail Link keeps passengers waiting

[webfact]

Short of trains, Airport Rail Link keeps passengers waiting

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

FILE photo

 

With only five of nine trains operating, Airport Rail Link (ARL) passengers faced a long delay during the Thursday morning rush hour.

 

ARL reported on its Facebook page that trains were arriving every 12 minutes during rush hour because four trains were undergoing major maintenance.

 

The congestion was reported to be easing by around 10am.

 

The reduced service had led to overcrowded platforms at a series of stations, and access to the platforms at Lat Krabang, Ban Thap Chang and Hua Mak stations had to be restricted.

 

Passenger queues spilled over into the ticketing areas.

 

Complaints filled the social media, some people saying they waited much longer than 12 minutes, in some instances more than an hour, because carriages were too crowded to board.

 

User comments on the ARL Facebook page included suggestions that it buy more trains to increase capacity.

 

ARL apologised but said there were no plans to buy additional trains soon. It said replacement parts were on order for the trains currently out of service.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30342010

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-29

[Wiggy]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

ARL apologised but said there were no plans to buy additional trains soon. It said replacement parts were on order for the trains currently out of service.

In an ARL management meeting:

- "Hey, I've got a good idea. Let's wait until the trains break down before we order new parts. That'll save us some money."

- "What about the passengers?"

- "Who?"

 

This service has been a complete shambles since day one.

[Cuba]

23 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

In an ARL management meeting:

- "Hey, I've got a good idea. Let's wait until the trains break down before we order new parts. That'll save us some money."

- "What about the passengers?"

- "Who?"

 

This service has been a complete shambles since day one.

Exactly right. They also butchered the trains that were out of service for parts to keep the other trains functional!

[overherebc]

The days when engineers ran projects from start to finish are long gone.

Everything now is run by the bean counters whose priorities lie on the side of shareholders and their own bonus payments.

Quality control cut to the bare minimum, years ago 100% inspection on finished items, now 10% or even 5% of items of items inspected. Materials used are the lowest acceptable in terms of quality and where applicable thickness required.

All engineering is now this way

Edited March 29, 2018 by overherebc

[MaxLee]

Not only Airport Link, BTS as well and their "temporary delays" due to high traffic volumes.

[new2here]

The days when engineers ran projects from start to finish are long gone.
Everything now is run by the bean counters whose priorities lie on the side of shareholders and their own bonus payments.
Quality control cut to the bare minimum, years ago 100% inspection on finished items, now 10% or even 5% of items of items inspected. Materials used are the lowest acceptable in terms of quality and where applicable thickness required.
All engineering is now this way

I think there's got to be a balance... at the end of the day, operating profitably IS a part - one of several parts - to the whole equation.

So, while I agree that an operationally-centered person/group would be a big plus, I do also think the finance (or what's framed as bean counters) group must also be in the active mix too.

For me, perhaps while not (IMHO) a Thailand "thing" I might look at something like a balanced scorecard type system. Given that most of these systems are run day-to-day by private, for-profit entities, they do so under the larger auspices of a governmental entity, i would look to the regulators to have this kind of control over such large scale, public-private partnerships.

For me, i would use a balanced scorecard that looks and weighs things like platform wait times, schedule compliance (i.e. on-time), service delays... and also things like maintenance-to-plan performance, cost control, etc..

This way, companies can profit, but must do so by being successful through BOTH customer-centric issues as well as financial goals.

I DO think you can effectively over-spend on maintenance-- by knowingly doing more than is necessary from an engineering and other operational basis.. call me "overkill". I ALSO think you can obviously go way below too.. neither one I think is a good solution.


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[Searat7]

With the ARL the problem is that it is being managed by the SRT. Operation should have been turned over to BTS long ago

[hansnl]

18 hours ago, Wiggy said:

In an ARL management meeting:

- "Hey, I've got a good idea. Let's wait until the trains break down before we order new parts. That'll save us some money."

- "What about the passengers?"

- "Who?"

 

This service has been a complete shambles since day one.

The risk of not having spare parts in stock is taken by many railway companies, due to short time thinking inbred in the new breed of managers keen on high bonus payments.

Well, the results are known.

 

[shady86]

As usual, buy the cheapest trains, skip maintenance and worry later when everthing breaks down. Blame the cheap fares and overcrowding.

[Estrada]

The Airport Link express trains have not worked for a year and only the City Link is running. Tried to get on the train at Hua Mark at 07.00hrs on Wednesday but it is impossible, as the trains arrive jam packed. Instead I used the old SRT railway from Hua Mark to Makasan, time 20 minutes, cost B2.00! No wonder the SRT has no money when the fare is only B2 compared with the Bus fare for the same route

[lvr181]

But, it just maybe the taxi industry using its financial muscle for their own betterment? 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Searat7 said:

With the ARL the problem is that it is being managed by the SRT. Operation should have been turned over to BTS long ago

 

I really don't think BTS are the poster boys of public transport. They have trains that are far too short to cope with the number of passengers, they have for years dragged their feet and defied court orders to provide better access for the disabled, and they operate a two-tier pricing system for the elderly - Thais can get a discount, 'aliens' can go whistle.

[Bangkok Barry]

London and Bangkok have approximately the same population. The new Crossrail/Elizabeth line when it opens later this year have trains that are 200 metres long. MRT, BTS and ARL are how long?

It is, as usual in Thailand, a case of zero forward planning and anticipation of numbers. The most glaring case is the airports, with the new airport being so overcrowded from day one that the old airport had to be refurbished (after being flooded, something else that there was no plan against) and re-opened. Fortunate that it wasn't used as government offices as was considered at one stage, isn't it. And now look at it - a photo taken on Wednesday in the international terminal. Looks like a wait of two or three hours just to check in.

[lvr181]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

they operate a two-tier pricing system for the elderly - Thais can get a discount, 'aliens' can go whistle.

In KL last year - took a tour of the Petronis Towers and when buying my ticket the lady, very nicely, asked if I might qualify for an "elderly person discount"?

 

Thai 4.0, never going to happen.

[MaxLee]

3 hours ago, Searat7 said:

With the ARL the problem is that it is being managed by the SRT. Operation should have been turned over to BTS long ago

They are both full of CRAP

[newnative]

I've ridden them all and all are poorly run--from not enough fare card machines to not enough rail cars.  Totally ridiculous statement that they have no plans to order more replacements--so things will just get worse.  

[sqwakvfr]

I took it last week from BKK to Phaya Thai at 1330.  It was elbow to elbow.  Standing room only.  I took the return trip to BKK a few days later at 1100 and it was only about 60% full.  

[overherebc]

4 hours ago, lvr181 said:

In KL last year - took a tour of the Petronis Towers and when buying my ticket the lady, very nicely, asked if I might qualify for an "elderly person discount"?

 

Thai 4.0, never going to happen.

Had the same in the hotel in Japan last year at the buffet lunch and free flow wine.

Manager quietly asked if I might be an elderly person, 

10% discount. ?

[Lakegeneve]

Quote

 

The main issue here is that the SRT 1st approved a budget to purchase 7 new, 5 car trains back in mid 2013! Had they ordered them by late 2013 we would've had new trains by early 2016 and capacity would not have been an issue.

 

They haven't order them due to a combination of reasons of eternal dysfunction, corruption allegations (which cancelled a tender to purchase Chinese made trains in 2016) and more recently that the Eastern HSR line will use the ARL as the basis for the HSR line which will run to DMK. Thus, late last year the SRT stated it needed to wait on the purchase until that tender for the HSR line is done.

 

These delays really are criminal. During this time daily pax numbers have risen from 40-45k to around 70k per day. The current number of 9 trains just can't cope with that number. 

 

You can read literally years and years of updates on delays regarding the rolling stock in this thread; 

I just posted an update on the new rolling stock earlier in that thread; 

 

 

Quote

Once the civil works tender is completed, a tender regarding rolling stock should be issued sometime later this year (hopefully).  It is worth noting that period from contract to delivery usually takes 2 years for new rolling stock. Thus, even if a contract was signed in late 2018/early 2019, we won't see any new  trains until mid 2021 at the earliest. And that's without any delays.

The SRT Board has to have some sort of record when they approve the budget for purchasing 7 new, 5 car sets in mid 2013 and it takes at least 8 years for any new trains to be running!

This must be the 3rd thread on this issue in the last 2 weeks!

 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Lakegeneve

[MaxLee]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:32 AM, newnative said:

I've ridden them all and all are poorly run--from not enough fare card machines to not enough rail cars.  Totally ridiculous statement that they have no plans to order more replacements--so things will just get worse.  

 

Guess what’s happening at BTS just now tonight.....

 

Delay, delay delay again..... due to mother <deleted> ing high traffic volume

 

 

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[Cadbury]

On 29/03/2018 at 1:55 PM, webfact said:

Airport Rail Link

These are the key words....Airport Rail Link. It was intended as a link for airline passengers to get from Suvarnabhumi to the city. Now it has become a suburban rail stop link for all and sundry. Cash flow is what counts!

Never mind what happened to the express direct train...obviously no money to be made there. All greed once again.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, Lakegeneve said:

The SRT Board has to have some sort of record when they approve the budget for purchasing 7 new, 5 car sets in mid 2013 and it takes at least 8 years for any new trains to be running!

 

You're certainly the expert on these things, LG.

 

But aren't the SRT getting some strong competition for that esteemed title from the BMTA and their still never-put-into-service NGV buses? How many rounds of procurement (5 or more), and the residents of BKK still have no new NGV buses to show for it.

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Sapporillo]

23 hours ago, new2here said:

I DO think you can effectively over-spend on maintenance

Yes, I think so too, but with things like mass transport, safety has to be priority number 1 at every step of the process. And when there’s the lives of hundreds of commuters at stake - in a worst case scenario - it’s a lot easier to do too little than too much. 

[new2here]

Yes, I think so too, but with things like mass transport, safety has to be priority number 1 at every step of the process. And when there’s the lives of hundreds of commuters at stake - in a worst case scenario - it’s a lot easier to do too little than too much. 

I don't disagree.. safety is, should be and must be #1.... but again, while I think you must err on the side of caution, it too must be also be viewed through costs as well...

I'm not saying that cost should drive maintenance - I don't think that's a good idea --- but I do think that how, when, who and such handle the maintenance can be ways to still do what's required and reasonable, but still do so in a cost conscious manner.


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[lamyai3]

On 3/29/2018 at 1:55 PM, webfact said:

With only five of nine trains operating, Airport Rail Link (ARL) passengers faced a long delay during the Thursday morning rush hour.

Wednesday evening too, almost half an hour on the Phayathai platform around 7pm until the train arrived. 

[jacko45k]

On 3/29/2018 at 2:05 PM, Wiggy said:

In an ARL management meeting:

- "Hey, I've got a good idea. Let's wait until the trains break down before we order new parts. That'll save us some money."

- "What about the passengers?"

- "Who?"

 

This service has been a complete shambles since day one.

Or perhaps 'have a meeting about ordering parts when the trains break down'....

[LomSak27]

I would use the rail link to the airport tomorrow at 11 AM . It is Sunday so not the work day riders BUT ... any comments? As it now stands I'm planning on taking a taxi.

[Lakegeneve]

2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

I would use the rail link to the airport tomorrow at 11 AM . It is Sunday so not the work day riders BUT ... any comments? As it now stands I'm planning on taking a taxi.

You'll be fine around that time. Even on weekday you'll be okay.

 

The only really bad periods are the extended am and pm peak hours and sometimes of lunch time.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Lakegeneve

[Lakegeneve]

20 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

You're certainly the expert on these things, LG.

 

But aren't the SRT getting some strong competition for that esteemed title from the BMTA and their still never-put-into-service NGV buses? How many rounds of procurement (5 or more), and the residents of BKK still have no new NGV buses to show for it.

 

Very true.

 

The BMTA first wanted to purchase new buses in 2006! BJT proposed a US$2 billion dollars 10 year leasing program for 2000 buses in late 2009 when they were in govt with the Dems as an self enrichment project. The Dems thankfully never approved it.

 

Since then there have been 3 different procurement programs of only 450-500 buses the 2nd of which resulted in the supplier having to park the buses as the BMTA wouldn't accept then given the import tax avoidance via Malaysia. The current contract has 489 buses being supplied this year.

 

In fairness to the BMTA the delays have mainly be a result of Thailand's dysfunctional politics and the 4 changes of gov since the first proposal as it needed govt approval. With the SRT it's been there own incompetence. 

 

Also to update you, 100 of the first batch of NGV buses are already on the streets plying routes for the last week. The next batch of 100 is due at the end of April and another batch of 100 in May. So you should start seeing them around in the coming months.

 

They still need another 2k buses once these 489 are delivered so that might take  few more decades!

[Argus Tuft]

20 hours ago, Cadbury said:

These are the key words....Airport Rail Link. It was intended as a link for airline passengers to get from Suvarnabhumi to the city. Now it has become a suburban rail stop link for all and sundry. Cash flow is what counts!

Never mind what happened to the express direct train...obviously no money to be made there. All greed once again.

Incorrect assumption/statement actually

 

The City Line was always going to be a commuter service for the stops between the airport and Phaya Thai, rather than the link for airline passengers to get from Suvanabhumi to the city (as per your bolding)

 

The demise of the Express Line hasn't helped - granted - but the City Line was already busy at peak times before that stopped.  Since then passenger numbers have grown and the maintenance issues have exacerbated the situation.

 

Lakegeneve or others may correct me on this