Thailand's first High Speed train: station designs point to the future

[webfact]

Thailand's first High Speed train: station designs point to the future

 

Pictures (3): Daily News

 

Station designs for four of the six stations on the proposed Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchasima have now been revealed. 

 

The designs are for the Ayuthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong and Nakorn Ratchasima stations. 

 

The designs will incorporate historical aspects of the old stations that are being remodeled to accommodate the new high speed line.

 

 

The Nakorn Ratchasima stop will be a three level station separating the high speed trains from existing long distance services.

 

The first two stops on the 253 km line - Bang Sue and Don Muang in Bangkok - will have stations that are integrated with the Red Line transport development in the capital. 

 

 

Daily News gave no indication when building work would begin apart from saying that the high speed train is a joint venture between the Thai government and the Chinese. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-14

[metempsychotic]

shame so much else seems to be going backwards

[Cadbury]

 

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand's first High Speed train: station designs point to the future

Well, everything is just about set and ready to go! 

The ticket prices have been set, the new railways station in Bangkok is upgraded to to take high speed trains and now the Ayuthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong and Nakorn Ratchasima HS stations have been beautifully and culturally designed. Next to be released will be the design of the tickets.

Now only the easy part left to do like finish loan negotiations with the Chinese then build a 630 km track and if there is any money left they can purchase the trains. 

[Misterwhisper]

Ah, Thailand. So close to becoming a developed nations in some aspects, yet so far in many, many others (and unfortunately usually the ones that really count).

 

Nice, attractive design, by the way... if it ever should get built.

[OneMoreFarang]

It's nice to have some beautiful stations. But those are the places where the high speed trains will have very little speed.

 

I am a lot more concerned with the unseen rail track far away from the station on which the train will run will high speed. How will that look like? And how will it look like after a year or two after it's new and nobody cares about it anymore? I hope not as bad as I imagine.

 

[kotsak]

First they designed the lunch boxes, now the stations, let's see when the real thing materializes.. 

[Longcut]

Must be an artist rendition. I don't see any trash thrown on the ground.

[johng]

I wonder if these stations will have wheelchair access and lifts designed in from the beginning..and not poorly implemented afterthought ?

[BobbyL]

I saw the local train passing through Makkasan the other day. Hordes or bikes and people racing to get across the tracks, people hanging on the side of the train etc. If they can't safely run something like this I have no idea how they have the ability to manage high speed rail. 

[MaxLee]

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

First they designed the lunch boxes, now the stations, let's see when the real thing materializes.. 

Until this generation of TV member is sleeping in their graves.....

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Daily News gave no indication when building work would begin

To be more accurate: Daily News gave no indication if building work would begin.

[Orton Rd]

Anything faster than today's service would be high speed. Came back from Ubon on the train last year 12 hours of torture, window would not close at all, carriage looked like it was from the 1940's and the doors were tied back open to the track. Stopped at every station where vendors got on then off selling the same stuff as at the last station, this was the express service!

[Ulic]

I still maintain Thailand would be better served by a two-track well constructed standard rail system. The country is small, not advanced when it comes to safety, and the quality of any high-speed rail system would be highly suspect when you factor in the cost of corruption. A disaster waiting to happen.

[nev]

These trains will be a blessing in disguise to the rural folk of Isaan, Many will no longer have to ride in the backs of pick up trucks for many many hours to get back on the holidays, And hopefully will help with the amount of cars making the trip back.

[nev]

1 minute ago, Ulic said:

I still maintain Thailand would be better served by a two-track well constructed standard rail system. The country is small, not advanced when it comes to safety, and the quality of any high-speed rail system would be highly suspect when you factor in the cost of corruption. A disaster waiting to happen.

They have just constructed a dual railway right through the spine of Isaan to Korat passing through Khonkaen, By the way the new Khonkaen railway station has just opened and it is very impressive.

[johng]

14 minutes ago, nev said:

These trains will be a blessing in disguise to the rural folk of Isaan,

I suspect they won't be able to afford the ticket price + if you take your pickup there is door to door transport.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

I still maintain Thailand would be better served by a two-track well constructed standard rail system. The country is small, not advanced when it comes to safety, and the quality of any high-speed rail system would be highly suspect when you factor in the cost of corruption. A disaster waiting to happen.

You seems to think logical.

Unfortunately that is not the way decisions are made in Thailand...

[shady86]

Wow! I'm pretty sure the real thing will look "much better" after its built.

[alant]

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

I still maintain Thailand would be better served by a two-track well constructed standard rail system. The country is small, not advanced when it comes to safety, and the quality of any high-speed rail system would be highly suspect when you factor in the cost of corruption. A disaster waiting to happen.

Blimey, having to look for trains from both directions before driving across.

[alation]

Sad for Thailand that they rely on China as most of the world do in one way or another. To big a foothold 

[mickymouse1]

What time is that train going to take off? We are interested in the time table not the platform design or the cafè outlooks etc...

[bkk6060]

Actually, I hope none of these projects ever happen.

Look at places like Singapore and Hong Kong.

The more of these higher end transport systems you build, the more expensive the entire country becomes.

Complain about all this now then when it comes and the prices go way up for everything, come back and complain about that.

I hope it is all hogwash....

 

[Eric Loh]

7 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Actually, I hope none of these projects ever happen.

Look at places like Singapore and Hong Kong.

The more of these higher end transport systems you build, the more expensive the entire country becomes.

Complain about all this now then when it comes and the prices go way up for everything, come back and complain about that.

I hope it is all hogwash....

 

Pray not for Singapore to have high speed train that runs at 300 km an hour. The island is only 50 km from East to West and 27 km from north to south. ????

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, nev said:

These trains will be a blessing in disguise to the rural folk of Isaan, Many will no longer have to ride in the backs of pick up trucks for many many hours to get back on the holidays, And hopefully will help with the amount of cars making the trip back.

That very much depends on the price of the tickets... most of the poor will stick to 10 in the back of a pick-up & give the train a miss!
10 people sharing the cost of fuel for one pick-up will be a lot cheaper than 10 paying the full train cost !!

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Now only the easy part left to do like finish loan negotiations with the Chinese

Negotiations might be very close to completion:

• the 27th official Thai-Chinese high-speed railway meeting, which will be held during February 27-March 1 in China, will continue discussions on guarantee period, contract collaterals, fine for delay, compensation, as part of the project's so-called contract 2.3*.
• "Contract 2.3 has a lot of details for further discussion in contract conditions and each party's responsibility as this involves the project's railway, train signalling system and maintenance, which should be finalised in this round of negotiation,”
• The result will be likely be forwarded to the Thai Cabinet in March [2019] with contract signing expected in the same month.

In regard to the 25-year borrowings for contract 2.3, Thai Ministry of Finance confirmed that it could accept the lending rate, proposed by China, of no more than 3 per cent with a grace period of five years.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30364147

A huge concession by the Thai government on the interest rate. Until October 2015 the Chinese government had proposed a rate of 2.5% but Thai officials felt that that was too high and proposed a rate not exceeding 2%.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-hopes-to-reach-loan-terms-for-800-km-joint-venture-rail-project-with-china-this-month/

See also:

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-and-china-start-historic-railway-cooperation/

 

* The 252.5-kilometre-long phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima has been split into 14 separate contracts.

[chainarong]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's nice to have some beautiful stations. But those are the places where the high speed trains will have very little speed.

 

I am a lot more concerned with the unseen rail track far away from the station on which the train will run will high speed. How will that look like? And how will it look like after a year or two after it's new and nobody cares about it anymore? I hope not as bad as I imagine.

 

Five years back in China it cost $15 million a kilometre to lay a HS track,  as against $38 million in the US and Oz, they're certainly on track for something. 

[dinsdale]

Money from China. Workers from China. Thailand just another sucker to the most dangerous country in the world. Welcome Thailand to the Chinese debt trap. Won't be long. They'll want the money back. Sorry can't pay. Never mind we'll have the sea port of Sattahip and clear your debt.????

[Older and Wiser]

59 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Negotiations might be very close to completion:

• the 27th official Thai-Chinese high-speed railway meeting, which will be held during February 27-March 1 in China, will continue discussions on guarantee period, contract collaterals, fine for delay, compensation, as part of the project's so-called contract 2.3*.
• "Contract 2.3 has a lot of details for further discussion in contract conditions and each party's responsibility as this involves the project's railway, train signalling system and maintenance, which should be finalised in this round of negotiation,”
• The result will be likely be forwarded to the Thai Cabinet in March [2019] with contract signing expected in the same month.

In regard to the 25-year borrowings for contract 2.3, Thai Ministry of Finance confirmed that it could accept the lending rate, proposed by China, of no more than 3 per cent with a grace period of five years.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30364147

A huge concession by the Thai government on the interest rate. Until October 2015 the Chinese government had proposed a rate of 2.5% but Thai officials felt that that was too high and proposed a rate not exceeding 2%.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-hopes-to-reach-loan-terms-for-800-km-joint-venture-rail-project-with-china-this-month/

 

 

See also:

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-and-china-start-historic-railway-cooperation/

 

* The 252.5-kilometre-long phase from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima has been split into 14 separate contracts.

Why don't they borrow from the Japanese, their rate is usually less than 1%?

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, nev said:

These trains will be a blessing in disguise to the rural folk of Isaan, Many will no longer have to ride in the backs of pick up trucks for many many hours to get back on the holidays, And hopefully will help with the amount of cars making the trip back.

Yes indeed, but will they be able to afford "high speed" fare prices???

[notagain]

29 minutes ago, Older and Wiser said:

Why don't they borrow from the Japanese, their rate is usually less than 1%?

Because the japanese canceled their participation in the bkk-chaing mai rail due the unrealistic passenger numbers generated by the thais. Their own study showed there was no way for it to be feasible to build. They dont even want to loan the money as they know they will never get it back no matter what the rate.