First roll-out for new four-car BTSC trains at Turkish plant

By The Nation

 

 

The first roll-out ceremony for BTSC's 22 new four-car trains by Bangkok Mass Transit System and Siemens took place at the factory of the German firm’s partner Bozankaya in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Tuesday

 

Guests of honour were Pol General Assavin Kwanmeung, Bangkok governor; Keeree Kanjanapas, chairman of Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC); Surapong Laoha-Unya, BTSC chief executive officer; management figures from Siemens, Bozankaya and Krungthep Thanakom, which is BTSC’s maintenance partner; members of the press from both Thailand and Turkey; and VIPs from the Turkish government.

 

The roll-out of the first of 22 trains to be supplied by Siemens is part of a broader deal for a total of 46 new four-car trains, with the other 24 to be supplied by China’s Changchun Railway Vehicles. 

 

The Bt11-billion order will support the increasing ridership of the BTS Skytrain system on the Silom and Sukhumvit Lines, and extension of the network. 

 

The 22 new trains will feature the latest available technology, specially designed by Siemens in Germany and Austria. 

 

Major components are sourced from Turkish manufacturer Bozankaya, the project partner of Siemens.

 

The German engineering giant is recognised for developing and manufacturing environmentally friendly systems in Europe. 

 

Furthermore, the Siemens train will enable BTS to transport more passengers, and includes energy-saving facilities in accordance with the Siemens standard. 

 

Following delivery and final commissioning, all new trains will be put into passenger service on the existing Sukhumvit and Silom Lines and on the 13-kilometre extension from Bearing to Samut Prakan, which is scheduled to open this December. 

 

The extension of the Green Line consists of nine stations that opened for public service from Bearing to Samrong last December, and a further eight – Pu Chao, Chang Erawan, Royal Thai Navy, Pak Nam, Srinagarindra, Phraek Sa, Sai Luat and Keha – that are scheduled to open at the end of this year.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Corporate/30348139

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-6-19

I thought they would be bigger.

 

They look like toys!

The platform can handle 6 cars train.  

 

That is why originally there were 3 car trains.

 

They could be coupled together in rush hours 

 

With 4 cars train the maximum use of the platform could never be reached.

 

 

I hope that someone has done the correct Customs paperwork for this lot ?

2 hours ago, cnx355 said:

They could be coupled together in rush hours 

 

They never were though.

In London they have been modernising the signalling system so that trains can run every 90 seconds. If the BTS could catch up with the 21st century and do the same then the trains wouldn't be so overcrowded.

Will be interesting to see how the Chinese made trains

fair against the Siemen's Turkish  made one's,for reliability,etc,etc.

 

regards worgeordie

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Will be interesting to see how the Chinese made trains

fair against the Siemen's Turkish  made one's,for reliability,etc,etc.

 

regards worgeordie

 

An interesting question, and I guess only time will tell. I don't know anything about train manufacture, so I Googled Changchun Railway Vehicles out of curiosity.

 

They're certainly not a new kid on the block. Been producing metro rail cars for China and export for 20+ years, so presumably know what they're doing.

 

Also, they have a technology transfer arrangement with Siemens, so there may be some commonality of tech and electronic stuff with the Turkish made and Chinese made rail car sets.

On 6/20/2018 at 9:17 AM, cnx355 said:

The platform can handle 6 cars train.  

 

That is why originally there were 3 car trains.

 

They could be coupled together in rush hours 

 

With 4 cars train the maximum use of the platform could never be reached.

 

 

Years ago (maybe 2012), when the BTS was becoming overcrowded, people were asking why the trains only had four carriages when the platforms were designed to accommodate six-carriage trains. I remember the Head of PR for BTS wrote a letter to the Bangkok Post confirming that six-carriage trains had been ordered from China and would be operational by the end of 2013. I wonder what happened?

 

On 6/20/2018 at 9:17 AM, cnx355 said:

The platform can handle 6 cars train.  

 

That is why originally there were 3 car trains.

They could be coupled together in rush hours 

With 4 cars train the maximum use of the platform could never be reached.

 

Conceptually and practically this is incorrect.

 

It was never envisaged for two 3 car trains to be coupled together as this wastes the motor/driver cars which are more expensive and overall space. Metro EMU rolling stock expands length by adding trailer cars progressively as required. As the BTS has done here 35 single trailer cars were ordered in 2010 to expand the original 35 3 car sets to 4 cars sets.

 

The BTS is around 5 years behind expansion of their rolling stock in relation to pax growth. All of these orders should have been 5 car trains rather than 4 car sets. When they do eventually move to 5 car sets they will need to order the required number of trailer cars to expand the fleet. And so on for moving to eventual 6 car operations.

 

One thing to note with the 12 CNR sets that were received back in Dec 2010 and used on the Silom line is that the body has small cracking and integrity problems in this climate due to metallurgical issues encountered during manufacture. It will be interesting to see if the next batch of 24 cars have a similar problem. 

 

 

There is video of the new rolling stock here;

 

 

 

Just wait... 3+3=6, 4+3=don't fit!

When will these new train come into service?

They should hire some cutie busty hotties in those tight security uniforms on the platforms,  to blow...the whistle !

On 6/22/2018 at 4:07 PM, Lakegeneve said:

One thing to note with the 12 CNR sets that were received back in Dec 2010 and used on the Silom line is that the body has small cracking and integrity problems in this climate due to metallurgical issues encountered during manufacture. It will be interesting to see if the next batch of 24 cars have a similar problem.

 

 

Is that a polite way of saying the Chinese used substandard or improper materials in the construction of the BTS railcars?  Kind of like the substandard steel rails used on the ARL line?

 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by TallGuyJohninBKK