Thailand's richest man, 12 others to build $6.8 billion high-speed rail

[Trevor Collins]

I can't help feeling this is very similar to the HS2 rail link in the UK, ie, a lot of money thrown at a vanity project where costs and time escalate, and progress is minimal. A much better idea would be to construct a north-south rail link, taking investment and opportunities to provinces that up to now have been starved of those commodities.

[Swedenlars]

20 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Why would anyone want to get a train from Swampy/Don Muang, to U-Tapau?

If you would travel bit more you would not ask such a question. The idea of building a train link between these airports makes sense indeed. I have spent hours and hours in traffic jams going from Swampy to Don Munag and vice versa.  U-Tapau will be used more and more as an international airport in the future. So it must also be linked. Also ever heard of making progess and trying to bring a country forward ?

[Tropposurfer]

18 hours ago, scorecard said:

Elite don't travel by train slow and fast.

I France they do. Maybe if they have one as proposed as a first and a test albeit billions of baht test, one day they might create a system that covers and crosses LOS. Yeah, yeah I know (come on whingers and naysayers here's your cue) what about buffalo and farmers on crappy motocys wandering on the tracks, they can't run the slow speed train system bla bla bla so how could they run a TGV styled system!? 

The first class TGV's and EuroStar are exceptional trains and frequented by most elegant and well to do Frogs. 

[djayz]

20 hours ago, Samuel Smith said:

But high speed rail not needed, just a regular rail link

Some blokes do be in a hurry to get to Pattaya with an itch that needs to be scratched pronto and every second counts. 

[newnative]

4 hours ago, TMNH said:

And you are privy to the plans? And your comment that the taxi drivers and bus drivers can relax "obviously" asserts that any alternative transportation is "obviously" opposed by you. So why is that?The logistics of a proposed train service may be short-sighted, yet the overall (albeit not thoroughly thought out) is a start. Unless of course you like the congestion...the daily death tolls...and most importantly, the lack of any driving skills.

 

So....whether the routes are questionable, the idea to attempt to curtail the carnage due to inferior skills re: drivers, then perhaps you could come up with a better plan? Nope....no relaxation to taxi drivers nor bus drivers. You either are open to a positive change OR you will be forever be cast as 3rd world country....ad finitum.

    I'm all for useful public works projects and positive change; this doesn't appear to be one.  The point I was making was that with finite dollars there are other ways that the money could have been better spent to the benefit and safety of more people.

[kevin612]

Of course, rich people are always in charge.

[amnicoll]

1. Will freight use the High speed line? doubt it

2. true U-Tapao at the moment is a bit of a joke with regards to connecting transport, Qatar briefly flew there but was not an attractive option for me

3. The idea that airport need good transport connections is sound but quite frankly surely extending the line on to Trat would make sense

4.CP, not known for its expertise in rail engineering - WOW

[Spellforce]

I tried to find the map of the project... someone knows where will be located the train station at Pattaya ?

[DrTuner]

29 minutes ago, Spellforce said:

I tried to find the map of the project... someone knows where will be located the train station at Pattaya ?

No idea if there are any maps. I don't think they'll be replacing the current railway, which would mean it'll be moved even further back into darkside. Would suit me fine, except how will they connect it to swampy/DMK, if there's the typical van trip at the end, meh.

[Spellforce]

@DrTuner

I've found many versions of the map on google.

A few years ago I heared a rumour about a train station close to the lake Maprachan (east side of the lake), but today I also found a map showing the train station in north Jomtien, a road at the west side of the lake.. I'm confused !

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, amnicoll said:

 

4.CP, not known for its expertise in rail engineering - WOW

Ermmmm the consortium is made up of people who are pretty good at rail engineering. It's in pretty much every article, not hard to find. But feel free to snipe and make yourself look foolish

 

 

As well as CP there is BEM (who built and run the MRT and several expressways), China Railway Construction Corporation - the world's second biggest construction and engineering company who have built most of China's amazing transportation infrastructure (roads bridges, subways, Metros, high speed rail) and Italian Thai who built the Skytrain and countless other massive infrastructure projects here. 

 

No experience? It's not like 7-Eleven just decided to do high speed rail as well as toasties and electricity bills... 

 

 

[dabhand]

3 hours ago, Spellforce said:

@DrTuner

I've found many versions of the map on google.

A few years ago I heared a rumour about a train station close to the lake Maprachan (east side of the lake), but today I also found a map showing the train station in north Jomtien, a road at the west side of the lake.. I'm confused !

Near to Jomtien might be a better bet. Maybe rather adjacent to the possible casino setup in that area. Would also tie in nicely with the Ban Chang / Pattaya bypass due to open in 2020(?). The money making opportunities are endless......for some. 

[5633572526]

On 5/13/2019 at 7:19 PM, dddave said:

A fast and efficient method of moving passengers between connecting airports and destination areas is a key component of making smaller airport facilities function well rather than continuing to expand BKK into a mega airport.

Why anyone would book a connecting flight halfway across the country escapes me and I am sure instead of the airlines transferring your luggage you would have to collect it at baggage claim and transfer it yourself 

[wgdanson]

18 hours ago, Swedenlars said:

If you would travel bit more you would not ask such a question

I have possibly travelled much more than you you have in my life, but never had any trouble getting from Swampy to Don Mueng or U Tapau by 'conventional' means, albeit slower than a hi-speed train.

Ronneby Brunn to Skelleftea was a bit of a trek !

[elgenon]

His expertise in pork should serve him well as this could be a pork barrel deal.

 

Who will run it? It wasn't clear. If it is the State railway ............

[Pique Dard]

connecting both airports is really necessary? as for me, i don't see the point