The New Skytrain (continued for 2019)

[FarangryBirds]

The only time I went to Icon Siam I tried that free shuttle bus from the mall, had to wait a long old time for it to turn up, and feared the worst traffic wise with the construction nearby but I was at the BTS in a few minutes.

[YT3k72Em]

Yes a skywalk would be a good alternative, especially since there are big hotels and condos there like Peninsula and The River.

[Lakegeneve]

On 6/7/2019 at 6:29 PM, Lakegeneve said:

2) MRT Blue Line ext openings - trial runs in July
Phase 1: 12 August - Hualumphong to Tha Pra,
Phase 2: 30 (TBC) September - Tha Pra to Lak Song
Phase 3: March 2020 - Tao Poon to Tha Pra

 

Note: the original opening date when construction first started in mid 2011 was early 2016!

Of the 35 new trains that BEM has ordered, 9 have been delivered, 10 more will arrive by Sept and the last 16 by March 2020.

MRTA Governor yesterday announced that the MRT Blue Line will commence limited shuttle services from 29 July only from 10 am - 4pm with shuttle operations (No Through Service) at a 8 min headway
Free until 28 Sept. when full operations should begin.

[Crossy]

N9 (Yaek Latphrao) continues towards opening early in August.

 

 

 

 

 

Although there are still a couple of quirks with the signage.

 

Stairs for the disabled? Whatever next, lifts?

 

Yes there are lifts from ground level on the Tesco Lotus side of the road and level access direct to the station concourse from Central Lat Phrao.

 

 

 

 

 

[Crossy]

8 hours ago, Crossy said:

Stairs for the disabled? Whatever next, lifts?

 

Amazingly there is actually a government requirement for stairs for those with reduced mobility (<15cm riser and >30cm step). This is in accordance with the recent changes by the Ministry Regulation No. 55.

 

 

 

 

[Crossy]

N9 is ready for opening on Friday the 9th August.

 

 

 

Staff are trained.

 

 

And, yes, at least for now it's free.

 

[Crossy]

N10 to N13 are still slated to open early in December.

 

[Lakegeneve]

On 8/4/2019 at 12:17 PM, Crossy said:

N9 is ready for opening on Friday the 9th August.

I hear that the opening is timed for 3pm, but that it might be a little earlier once they clear up the Opening Ceremony by PM Prayuth at 12pm.

 

Good to see that everything was finished a little earlier Crossy.

 

BTS currently has 19 of the new 22 sets of Siemans Inspiro trains delivered (16 operational) but only 3 of the 24 Changchun sets.

[Lakegeneve]

On 7/19/2019 at 3:24 PM, Lakegeneve said:

MRTA Governor yesterday announced that the MRT Blue Line will commence limited shuttle services from 29 July only from 10 am - 4pm with shuttle operations (No Through Service) at a 8 min headway
Free until 28 Sept. when full operations should begin.

From 13 August the MRT Blue Line ext free shuttle service operation period will be extended from 7am to 9pm operations basically more than doubling the current 6hrs.

[wreckingcountry]

Today was supposed to be the extension opening from Mochit station to central Lat phrao mall! Escalator working that goes to level but lot of staff stood around saying “mai “


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Lakegeneve]

1 hour ago, wreckingcountry said:

Today was supposed to be the extension opening from Mochit station to central Lat phrao mall! Escalator working that goes to level but lot of staff stood around saying “mai “


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

From 3pm as previously posted, you are a little early. Of course, 3pm could end up being 4pm or 5pm....... depends how long the opening ceremony with the PM lasts if its on time.

[Crossy]

Opening ceremony finished early, apparently N9 should be operational from 2PM.

 

From the MRTA FaceBook page, why does the PM look absolutely petrified? (actually I think it's his cardboard alter-ego).

 

 

Slightly less scared once he arrived at N9

 

 

 

[Crossy]

Teeming hordes waiting to be let in 

 

 

First "live" train

 

[FarangryBirds]

I was riding back from Paknam earlier, the train display said it was terminating at Ha Yaek Ladprao so I thought I'd see if that was really the case.

And sure enough...

[CLW]

Just a few thoughts on new developments at BTS and MRT.

New station N5 ? Ha Yeak Lat Phrao. Nice design and more spacious layout than the older stations. Ticket machines made me somehow confusing. There is a box to recharge your card but nothing happens neither there is an option on the screen. Probably will be flattened out with an update of the machine software.

New BTS Trains very nice. From which manufacturer they are? Are there still labels inside? New display system thay shows upcoming stations better and on par with international competitiors.

MRT. I saw they installed a whole new row of gates at Sukhumvit station. Finally. It was about time with that much congestion at rush hour. Chatuchak Park station two more new exit gates. Geez, they are horrible. Are they from China? Either only one side opening and if, at a snails pace. Not much improvement in the people flow. Why don't they implement open gate system with camera surveillance?

New MRT trains also running now at Blue Line. What manufacturer is this? Again, improved display system. Very nice. A bit warm inside, maybe need some time to adjust settings for air conditioning. I hope the bought trains with sufficient specifications of BTU cooling capacity. The cars all have seats again??? Actually the removal of seats for two cars per each of the old trains eased the crowded situation inside the trains during peak hours. Why they didn't order or modify the new trains like this already?

[FarangryBirds]

The only thing I didn't like about Ha Yaek Ladprao was there wasn't really much of a connection to Pahon Yothin MRT.

Those new barriers at Sukhumvit were much needed, whenever two trains rolled in at the same time the congestion at the main exit was terrible.

I tried out the new MRT extension over the weekend, I didn't notice anything different about the train. My biggest criticism of the MRT trains vs. BTS is the MRT have too much open space without any railings or overhead straps to grab onto when standing. They're already extending the trial times from today, now 7am to 9pm instead of 10am to 4pm.

[CLW]

The only thing I didn't like about Ha Yaek Ladprao was there wasn't really much of a connection to Pahon Yothin MRT.

Yes. I was assuming they make a skywalk to connect to the existing pedestrian bridge between MRT and Union Mall.
Maybe they realise this at a later stage...

[Lakegeneve]

On 8/5/2019 at 1:21 PM, Lakegeneve said:

BTS currently has 19 of the new 22 sets of Siemans Inspiro trains delivered (16 operational) but only 3 of the 24 Changchun sets.

The Info was in posts above.

 

7 hours ago, CLW said:

New BTS Trains very nice. From which manufacturer they are? 

New MRT trains also running now at Blue Line. What manufacturer is this? Why they didn't order or modify the new trains like this already?

For the MRT also Siemans Inspiro , "Of the 35 new trains that BEM has ordered, 9 have been delivered, 10 more will arrive by Sept and the last 16 by March 2020." 

[Lakegeneve]

5 hours ago, FarangryBirds said:

The only thing I didn't like about Ha Yaek Ladprao was there wasn't really much of a connection to Pahon Yothin MRT.

Why would you expect such integrated planning in BKK? The MRTA didn't even ask the BTSC for input when they designed the stations.....

 

At Asoke escalators between MRT and BTS didn't open until 1 year after the MRT opened.

At Silom, the pedestrian link didn't open until 2 years later,

At Makkasan the US$3m pedestrian link between the MRT & ARL didn't open until nearly 3 years later......

 

The only connection where a link was built as part of the project was the pedestrian link between MRT Purple line and SRT Light Red line at Bang Son when the Purple line opened in August 2016. The only problem, the SRT Light Red line ceased operations in Jan 2014!!

 

I suspect the MRTA expects most people to interchange at Mo Chit once the full extension opens.

[Crossy]

I'm quite surprised that nobody has commented yet on the (lack of) modifications to Mo Chit station to cope with northbound passengers ????

 

[Lakegeneve]

7 hours ago, CLW said:

New station N5 ? Ha Yeak Lat Phrao. Nice design and more spacious layout than the older stations. 

I had a look at Ha Yaek around 4pm on Friday. Larger is definitely most needed so it is good in that aspect, plenty of room in the concourse and ticketing area. One thing that I really liked was that the Central side of the station has a separated walk way outside the ticketed area so that people can walk from one end to the other without needing to go through the ticketed area. 

[CLW]

Why would you expect such integrated planning in BKK? The MRTA didn't even ask the BTSC for input when they designed the stations.....
 
At Asoke escalators between MRT and BTS didn't open until 1 year after the MRT opened.
At Silom, the pedestrian link didn't open until 2 years later,
At Makkasan the US$3m pedestrian link between the MRT & ARL didn't open until nearly 3 years later......
 
The only connection where a link was built as part of the project was the pedestrian link between MRT Purple line and SRT Light Red line at Bang Son when the Purple line opened in August 2016. The only problem, the SRT Light Red line ceased operations in Jan 2014!!
 
I suspect the MRTA expects most people to interchange at Mo Chit once the full extension opens.

TiT This is Thailand 4.0 [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[CLW]

I'm quite surprised that nobody has commented yet on the (lack of) modifications to Mo Chit station to cope with northbound passengers [emoji846]
 

We'll see that probably in two years. Planning ahead is not really a strength of Thai mindset

[Crossy]

10 minutes ago, CLW said:

We'll see that probably in two years. Planning ahead is not really a strength of Thai mindset

 

The additional stairs and escalator were definitely in the original architectural designs but they seem to have, er, fallen off somewhere ????

 

The last of the north extension is due to open in December 2020, we shall see if anything occurs.

[Gaccha]

How long until google map adds the newly opened stations? Anyone know how this usually works?

[Gaccha]

I should add to my comment. The Stations are flagged on google, but the rail line is nowhere to be seen).

[dantilley]

Which line is currently being constructed along Sri Nakarin Road, and which of the existing stations will it connect with? I'd guess Hua Mak Airport Link station at one end?

[VocalNeal]

I was told it is the red line . Links Samut Sakorn (Kheha et al to the line that runs parallel to Vipvadi Rangsit/Lat Phroa

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

I was told it is the red line . Links Samut Sakorn (Kheha et al to the line that runs parallel to Vipvadi Rangsit/Lat Phroa

No, it's the Yellow Line monorail, isn't it? From Rachada, along Lat Phrao, Sri Nakarin and ending up at Samrong where it connects with the BTS. 

 

Connects to the ARL at Hua Mark. Gonna make my journey to work so much easier when it's finally finished. 

 

 

[asiaexpat]

1 hour ago, dantilley said:

Which line is currently being constructed along Sri Nakarin Road, and which of the existing stations will it connect with? I'd guess Hua Mak Airport Link station at one end?

A simple Google search would reveal that this is the Yellow line. Try a search and you can see maps of all the BTS, MRT, ARL.