The New Skytrain (continued for 2019)

[omnipresent]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:03 AM, Crossy said:

Revenue service starts on Monday July 3rd.

 

Fares will be 18 to 45 Baht, buy tickets at the machine

Will changing to blue line at Lat Phrao require a separate fare?

[Crossy]

18 minutes ago, omnipresent said:

Will changing to blue line at Lat Phrao require a separate fare?

 

Yes, I'm afraid so.

 

You can use your contactless Visa/Mastercard on both lines and get a "transfer discount" on your total journey.

[FarangryBirds]

I took a other ride on yellow line last night from Hua Mak to Chokchai 4 and had another underwhelming experience.

 

Arriving in Hua Mak on the ARL, the walk from ARL station to the MRT station was a bit clunky and not very well signposted from inside and outside the ARL station, Had to walk over the train tracks as well to reach the yellow line. 

 

When I got up to the monrail platform I was greeted by a train that was stuck at the station as it had stopped short of the correct spot to be lined up with the safety barriers, until a member of staff got on the manual controls to get the train forward another meter or so.

 

After dinner around Chockhai 4, came back to the station to find shutters coming down and that the service wasn't running after 22:00. The Skywalk was also full of workers and wiring as they were still putting finishing touches on that skywalk.

 

So even on the 1st official paid day of running, it still seems like they're ironing out a few kinks.

 

[FarangryBirds]

I saw one Thai news article about Pink Line free trials to start running in September, following Prayut's official inspection yesterday.

[omnipresent]

On 6/28/2023 at 6:56 AM, Crossy said:

You can use your contactless Visa/Mastercard on both lines and get a "transfer discount" on your total journey.

Is there any progress with a common ticketing system for all mass transit networks in Bangkok / Thailand (like there is in other countries e.g. Japan)? Mangmoom?

[FarangryBirds]

On 7/11/2023 at 2:29 PM, FarangryBirds said:

I saw one Thai news article about Pink Line free trials to start running in September, following Prayut's official inspection yesterday.

Reports today the free trial for Pink Line passengers will run September-October, with it becoming a paid line from November.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Latphrao Road.

 

 

[Crossy]

Pink Line staff training.

 

[bamnutsak]

I just noticed this BTS next train status info. Opposite platform LCD. Chit Lom, outbound. Seemed accurate. Never noticed it before.

[omnipresent]

On 8/3/2023 at 6:42 AM, omnipresent said:

Is there any progress with a common ticketing system for all mass transit networks in Bangkok / Thailand (like there is in other countries e.g. Japan)? Mangmoom?

As lines increase in number and complexity, the more need there is for a common ticketing system, otherwise it can be unfairly expensive to use the network. Have you guys been to Japan? Here's the Tokyo railway network map:

 

The common ticketing system works very well there. Getting somewhere in Tokyo often requires a few line changes (that may be operated by a different company) but the cost doesn't increase on each change. I hope Bangkok will be similar.

 

[FarangryBirds]

I saw one report yesterday saying Pink Line free passenger trials are happening this month, with paid fare services starting in December.

 

The BTS were trialling something useful last month where the big HD screens on the platform were actually showing information about the next train arrivals (as the MRT Blue has done for years!). Annoyingly it's gone again, hopefully it comes back again soon, I think only one time the information shown was totally wrong. It said next train was about 5 minutes away and then 1 turned up a minute later....always better to under promise and over deliver!

 

The only station I didn't see it being shown at was Siam....one of the busiest stations, there are TVs around the platform, but seemingly only there to show us advertising. . I'm not sure if this was also the case at Samrong and Ha Yaek Ladprao.

[digbeth]

1 hour ago, FarangryBirds said:

I saw one report yesterday saying Pink Line free passenger trials are happening this month, with paid fare services starting in December.

 

The BTS were trialling something useful last month where the big HD screens on the platform were actually showing information about the next train arrivals (as the MRT Blue has done for years!). Annoyingly it's gone again, hopefully it comes back again soon, I think only one time the information shown was totally wrong. It said next train was about 5 minutes away and then 1 turned up a minute later....always better to under promise and over deliver!

 

The only station I didn't see it being shown at was Siam....one of the busiest stations, there are TVs around the platform, but seemingly only there to show us advertising. . I'm not sure if this was also the case at Samrong and Ha Yaek Ladprao.

 

There are no big screen from the opposing platforms at Siam and Samrong as they're both island platforms 

[FarangryBirds]

I know the configuration of the island stations is different, but they still have TVs up and down the platform at Siam for example. They also have screens inside the barriers. My point is that the priority seems to be using these for playing advertising on a loop, as opposed to information passengers may find useful. The ones inside the barriers usually interrupt an advert to tell you the next train is approaching...usually the train is clearly visible by then anyway.

 

The MRT and ARL get by without having massive LED displays at their platforms to put this up on.

[Crossy]

4 hours ago, FarangryBirds said:

I saw one report yesterday saying Pink Line free passenger trials are happening this month, with paid fare services starting in December.

 

Actual date for free running is not fixed yet, but will be between 18th and 24th November.

 

[ExpatOilWorker]

23 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Actual date for free running is not fixed yet, but will be between 18th and 24th November.

 

Looks like 18th.

 

[josephbloggs]

On 11/11/2023 at 1:41 PM, Crossy said:

 

Actual date for free running is not fixed yet, but will be between 18th and 24th November.

 

 

Do you know if it is just as bumpy as the yellow line? Not complaining, I like the yellow line, but it is very bumpy - thought it would be much smoother. Not sure if that is common with these systems or if the beams are less smooth than they should be.

 

[Crossy]

5 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Do you know if it is just as bumpy as the yellow line? Not complaining, I like the yellow line, but it is very bumpy - thought it would be much smoother. Not sure if that is common with these systems or if the beams are less smooth than they should be.

 

I've not ridden it yet, but I doubt it will be any less bumpy.

 

Monorails on concrete (rather than steel) beams do tend to be a bit rough.

[josephbloggs]

21 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

I've not ridden it yet, but I doubt it will be any less bumpy.

 

Monorails on concrete (rather than steel) beams do tend to be a bit rough.

Thanks, I guess the bumpiness is to be expected then. 

[josephbloggs]

On 11/12/2023 at 3:10 PM, Crossy said:

 

I've not ridden it yet, but I doubt it will be any less bumpy.

 

Monorails on concrete (rather than steel) beams do tend to be a bit rough.

I went on it today. Circumstantial but it definitely feels smoother than the yellow line. Not smooth, it is still bumpy, but seems less so. Also seems the pink line trains run a little bit faster.

 

Could be in my head as they were both built by the same people so ti wouldn't make sense that they would be any different, but that's how it felt (and I went on both pink and yellow today).

[burner2014]

On 11/16/2022 at 7:00 AM, burner2014 said:

@Lakegenevecatching up a bit on our discussion we had the last 2 years. 

Study is done and now waiting for cabinet approval. You were right it takes a long time haha 2029 is planned so 2030 or so is realistic for this new line https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/light-rail/bangkoks-bang-na-suvarnabhumi-lrt-feasibility-study-completed/

Living in the area around that line I still think this line will be used a lot especially because it will connect the airport in the last phase.

Wiki Overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Na–Suvarnabhumi_light_rail

Update 2024 regarding the Railway Bang Na to the Airport...

https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/336971

Bangkok announced the cancellation of the construction project for 3 electric train routes "Silver Line - Gray Line - Blue Line" due to insufficient budget and wanting to return it to the government to do it themselves. To connect to the future common ticket system with other electric train lines

In the end Bangkok gives the responsibility for this project back to the Ministry of Transport so they have to use their budget and not Bangkok's Budget 😄 As a lot of the line is anyways in Samut Prakan I was wondering who takes care of the whole project.

 

Not the best news in another article I read that the studies suggested that the passenger demand will only be high enough if the line ends at the airport which was planned in a later stage of the project and not from the beginning.

 

While I still think the line is needed and would have a great demand (ending at the airport) this will be all postponed now and I don't see this line opening before 2032 or so if ever.

[digbeth]

On 2/27/2024 at 3:38 PM, burner2014 said:

Update 2024 regarding the Railway Bang Na to the Airport...

https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/336971

Bangkok announced the cancellation of the construction project for 3 electric train routes "Silver Line - Gray Line - Blue Line" due to insufficient budget and wanting to return it to the government to do it themselves. To connect to the future common ticket system with other electric train lines

In the end Bangkok gives the responsibility for this project back to the Ministry of Transport so they have to use their budget and not Bangkok's Budget 😄 As a lot of the line is anyways in Samut Prakan I was wondering who takes care of the whole project.

 

Not the best news in another article I read that the studies suggested that the passenger demand will only be high enough if the line ends at the airport which was planned in a later stage of the project and not from the beginning.

 

While I still think the line is needed and would have a great demand (ending at the airport) this will be all postponed now and I don't see this line opening before 2032 or so if ever.

 

A lot of expensive housing development on Bangna is banking on that line coming, if they peg that to the airport, it'd only be atter the airport south terminal gets built which could be decades away 

[burner2014]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:04 AM, digbeth said:

 

A lot of expensive housing development on Bangna is banking on that line coming, if they peg that to the airport, it'd only be atter the airport south terminal gets built which could be decades away 

Yes so in the end this line is on hold till anyone decides to pay for it 🙂 I agree a lot of overpriced house projects now here around me and everyone is doing Marketing with "Skytrain is coming", luckily I bought years ago and didn't speculate on the monorail.

Just monitoring what happens and will update again in one - two years here I guess if there are any news 🙂 

I still believe in the next 10 years this project will happen hopefully 😄 

[ExpatOilWorker]

On 12/23/2018 at 5:53 PM, ExpatOilWorker said:

This report is interesting (http://www.btsgroup.co.th/storage/download/sustainability/sr/bts-sd201718-en.pdf), especially the power consumption information.

 

The BTS network burns yearly through 106 million Kwh, slightly less than Paragon at 123 million Kwh.

 

Using 2.7 Kwh/carriagexkm and assuming 100 passenger per carriage gives a mileage of 37 km/Kwhxpassenger or 7.5 better than a Tesla, assuming just single occupancy.

The BTS extensions are showing up in an increase in power consumption and the BTS lines are consuming almost 0.1% of Thailand's national power output.

 

sd-report202223-en.pdf

[ExpatOilWorker]

Our beautiful city.

[ExpatOilWorker]

The rolling stock from China seem to work well in Thailand or are there also issues with them, just to a lesser degree than in Africa?

 

A Crumbling Metro Reveals Failed Promise of China’s Billions in Africa https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-12/addis-ababa-ethiopia-metro-s-decline-shows-china-s-step-back-from-africa

[josephbloggs]

54 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

The rolling stock from China seem to work well in Thailand or are there also issues with them, just to a lesser degree than in Africa?

 

A Crumbling Metro Reveals Failed Promise of China’s Billions in Africa https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-12/addis-ababa-ethiopia-metro-s-decline-shows-china-s-step-back-from-africa

It seems the Ethiopian system fell in to disrepair once the original contracts with the Chinese expired and the maintenance was taken back "in house" to save money. I don't think anyone can blame the Chinese or the rolling stock for that. As you alluded, Thailand has been running Chinese rolling stock for a long time (since 2010) with no incident as they are well maintained.

[digbeth]

On 4/14/2024 at 7:53 PM, josephbloggs said:

It seems the Ethiopian system fell in to disrepair once the original contracts with the Chinese expired and the maintenance was taken back "in house" to save money. I don't think anyone can blame the Chinese or the rolling stock for that. As you alluded, Thailand has been running Chinese rolling stock for a long time (since 2010) with no incident as they are well maintained.

 

The maintenance problem in Thailand is defendant on if it's the private sector or government running the line, when SRT ran the Airport Link it fell into disrepair pretty badly and they couldn't commercialize the stations and that was Siemens rolling stock built in Germany, 

 

The Redline is Japanese system throughout, the Japanese probably won't let it fall into disrepair much as a lot is riding on becoming the standard suburban rail for Thailand, but the sorry state of the stations are showing - escalator that broke barely a year into service because they can't procure maintenance contracts to dirty toilets 

[ExpatOilWorker]

BTS gone cute 😍. 

 

[Galomir]

things are moving for the Orange Line new deadline is 2028 😴

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Galomir said:

things are moving for the Orange Line new deadline is 2028 😴

Do you have a link for that?

 

It's crazy that the thing is built but not operating due to no signalling system or trains (I believe). Really really poor. Is 2028 official???