Mind the Gap! Thailand to up its rail networks to international standards

[webfact]

File photo

 

Thai business media reported that the chief of the Department of Rail Transport Kittiphan Panjan chaired a high level zoom meeting with major players in rail and road transport.

 

At the virtual table were representatives of such organisations as the State Railways, the BTS (skytrain), the MRT (Bangkok's subway) and even expressway authorities and a host of other engineers.

 

The discussion focused on raising standards to an international level in terms of electrification sytems, transformer arrangement standards and recommended standards for rolling stock.

 

This will apply to passenger and freight services including locomotives and individual carriages.

 

It refers not just to regular train services but to trams, monorails and even the proposed High Speed Trains. 

 

In keeping with the international theme of the story the media included a picture of a Northern Line train from the London Underground also known as the Tube. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that Thailand's rail services, in some regards, could do with an upgrade to international standards. 

 

"Mind the Gap" - a phrase synonymous with London's system comes to mind!

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-08-19

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ThailandRyan]

Mind the Gap, well thats also a phrase used on the MRT when it stops at a station and just before the doors open.  Had to grab the GF's daughter when she was little or she would have fallen into that gap.  Glad to see that the BTS stations are actually installing gates along the rail decks in the final stations, to fall into that gap, well lets just say Deadly.......

[VocalNeal]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Glad to see that the BTS stations are actually installing gates along the rail decks in the final stations,

They are for advertising

[Thujone]

I remember getting the night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai years ago.

Slow.

Not International Standards.

The bar was open all night, all night party.

Laugh? I nearly got a round in.

Arrived 6 or 7 in the morning, three sheets to.

No hotel booked, so I had to go 'round to hotels and guesthouses asking if there were any rooms available.

The first five or six said no, and ushered me out the door.

Eventually found one with compassionate policies, had a couple of hours kip, then off to Loi Kroh road for lunchtime refreshments.

Fortunately I knew at the time that these were the good old days.

[trainman34014]

More Pie in the Sky but good for a giggle.

[mrfill]

Well I never! I was sure that the London call was 'Mindless Krap'

 

It seemed to make sense..

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The discussion focused on raising standards to an international level in terms of electrification sytems, transformer arrangement standards and recommended standards for rolling stock.

 

This will apply to passenger and freight services including locomotives and individual carriages.

No mention of changing the gauge from 1 metre which has to be a major factor in the selection of locos and rolling stock. My advice....stick to the Space Programme.

[peterpop]

I think this headline typifies my 15 year experience of Thailand. All mouth and no trousers.  Hub of this and that.  Hub of Hot Air more like.

Handsome is as Handsome does.... as they say in Cornwall.

[RubbaJohnny]

Real HUB will be Mono subs , Disused submarines on guided pathways.

 

SRT will have to do a miracle to attract the rich onto the rails. TGV AVE Pendolino  high speed trains in EU and Bullets in Japan and China are competitive with air up about 500 miles and of course city centre to city centre.They are modern clean safe and often similar fare.Routes like Madrid Barcelona and Paris Brussels nearly all rail.Same NEw York corridor, Osaka Tokio.

 

I doubt enough domestic traffic even big 3 C Mai Hat Yai Krung Thep to be profitable.

Of course if government had to use the train not subsidised Thai Airways? Of course the ole buffers too busy coupling elswhere.

 

2 big projects mooted the Beijing Singapore hi speed which without a seamless border free ASEAN will be a nightmare.

 

Other is the alternate to the Isthmus of Kraa canal is a rail link.

 

I doubt any of us will ever live to travel on either, altho bits of Hi Speed to Vientiane starting slowly, the on costs of Covid and lack of tourism and investment will surely delay these.

 

My forecast is VIP replacement bus service for the poor, scary yabba fueled Vans for the workers and limo/ free flights  for the minted.

 

Like many here I took C Mai sleeper as a retro treat imagining an Orient Express experience,rather than a noodle shop full of loud street vendors. Not much sleep in 16 hour trip but I think the rattler was as good a massage as the nong onboard who I later married, so all good in amazing Thailand.With free seats it is also used to redistribute unwanted hither and yon.

[worgeordie]

International standards..... does that mean they will stop falling

off the tracks, few year ago it seemed a regular occurance ,

I remember many years ago a night trip from BKK to Chiang Mai,

in 3rd class, which was all I could get at the time, the train was chok

a block, I was knackered when I got on and had to travel most of

the way standing up ????

regards worgeordie

[Muhendis]

10 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

International standards..... does that mean they will stop falling

off the tracks, few year ago it seemed a regular occurance ,

I remember many years ago a night trip from BKK to Chiang Mai,

in 3rd class, which was all I could get at the time, the train was chok

a block, I was knackered when I got on and had to travel most of

the way standing up ????

regards worgeordie

Sounds like the Swansea to Paddington commuter run.

[hotchilli]

15 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

International standards..... does that mean they will stop falling

off the tracks, few year ago it seemed a regular occurance ,

I remember many years ago a night trip from BKK to Chiang Mai,

in 3rd class, which was all I could get at the time, the train was chok

a block, I was knackered when I got on and had to travel most of

the way standing up ????

regards worgeordie

I miss the 3 hour journey west to Hua Hin in a cattle truck... refreshments are at each station when old ladies get on trying to sell something unrecognisable from a basket, drinks are usually served in a bucket of ice.

Bone shaker seats that leaves your spine needing manipulation before you can walk any distance. [that's my story] the air-con is open the window, if you can, otherwise try to sit below the rotating ceiling fan.

I love the adventure and at 30 baht who's complaining.

Edited August 19, 2021 by hotchilli

[ThailandRyan]

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I miss the 3 hour journey west to Hua Hin in a cattle truck... refreshments are at each station when old ladies get on trying to sell something unrecognisable from a basket, drinks are usually served in a bucket of ice.

Bone shaker seats that leaves your spine needing manipulation before you can walk any distance. [that's my story] the air-con is open the window, if you can, otherwise try to sit below the rotating ceiling fan.

I love the adventure and at 30 baht who's complaining.

Been there and done that from the Udon Thani Airport to Sakhon Nakhon jiggled my nibblets, but the mango slices made it all worth it.....

[NeoDinosaw]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I miss the 3 hour journey west to Hua Hin in a cattle truck... refreshments are at each station when old ladies get on trying to sell something unrecognisable from a basket, drinks are usually served in a bucket of ice.

Bone shaker seats that leaves your spine needing manipulation before you can walk any distance. [that's my story] the air-con is open the window, if you can, otherwise try to sit below the rotating ceiling fan.

I love the adventure and at 30 baht who's complaining.

30 Baht  ????  when was that ?

 

I always had to pay 33 Baht for Nakhon Phathom to Hua Hin and that was back in 2019.  It did take 3 hours usually - so maybe you mean the same trip !

 

 

[brommers]

Aren't there rules about spreading fake news? I recall that when Prayuth strode into power there was going to be Bangkok to Chiang Mai high speed rail by 2019. Oddly it hasn't happened. Just like almost every utterance from this crowd of day dreaming incompetents.

 

 

[DoctorB]

7 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

No mention of changing the gauge from 1 metre which has to be a major factor in the selection of locos and rolling stock. My advice....stick to the Space Programme.

Absolutely! You can't run a high speed rail system on meter gauge.

[djayz]

I rather enjoyed travelling by train here years ago. I especially enjoyed the open windowed carriages. 

The one thing I would change is allowing vendors to board the train at practically every station and  shove their tray/basket of wares in your face. Get them off and keep them off the trains! 

[bangon04]

Easy solution - just let the Chinese build the whole thing - it will be ready to use in 18 months and will only take 40 years to pay back......

[balo]

The train to Chiang Mai needs an upgrade, that's for sure.  

[scorecard]

15 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

More Pie in the Sky but good for a giggle.

Given all the discussions and announcements and contracts etc., etc., in the last 3 or 4 years on rail gauge, double tracks, hi-speed trains etc., I'm wondering why this hasn't been discussed and actioned before? 

 

Surely this would have / should have been part of the earlier discussions?

 

Or is it just another example of creating budgets for the corrupt politicians and beaurocrats and contractors to get their sticky fingers into?

 

Sort of like the beach repairs in Pattaya and the drainage projects on Suk. Rd in Pattaya, many and more hundreds of millions budgets and 'completions' than can be counted, 90% of which has achieved nothing.

 

And the corruption is so obvious but the corrupt politicians and beaurocrats and contractors just don't care.

 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

Hopefully their International Standards are more France and Japan than India and the UK!

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, NeoDinosaw said:

30 Baht  ????  when was that ?

 

I always had to pay 33 Baht for Nakhon Phathom to Hua Hin and that was back in 2019.  It did take 3 hours usually - so maybe you mean the same trip !

 

 

Yep same trip and same year, just prior to Covid spoiling things.

The choice was 30 baht on the slow train or 180 baht in the mini-van from opposite Silpakorn Uni.

[Gsxrnz]

Have they managed to stop the local entrepreneurs from nicking the redundant copper wire from under the sky train yet?

[Callmeishmael]

Double tracking the entire network, setting up proper freight depots with connections to container ports, upgrading tracks and rolling stock to increase the average speed from 90kph to 120kph...

 

All of these things could be done for a fraction of the cost of a single high speed commuter train!  These would upgrade the Thai train system to 1960s standards, but I don't see a single one of them mentioned in the OP!