This high speed rail is looking kind of like the submarine.....Where delay after delay after delay becomes very profitable as new rounds of brown envelops are needed over time......Along with plenty of useless very expensive studies....

11 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

 

 

And what's with the massive budget for such a short line?  The DMK to BKK portion is already in operation, right?  The stretch from BKK to UTP is only 150 kilometers..........so $6.8 Billion?

 

That's more expensive than the entire 425 km Vientiene-Boten line with 20 some stations, and hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and bridges through mountains.

 

47% of the railway is spanned over 75 tunnels and 15% is set on viaducts spread over 167 bridges.

 

No, there is no high speed commuter rail all the way from BKK to DMK.  They need to extend the existing line that goes from BKK to Phaya Thai BTS and probably also need to upgrade the existing tracks.

51 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

It is very expensive, I agree. If you want a high speed rail built quickly and cheaply then you get the Chinese to do it - nobody does it better.

As long as there arent environmental or safety rules.

55 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Where do you get that nonsense from? It would run at 250km/h.

Even the existing ARL can hit 160km/h between stations and they are only a few kms apart, although it usually runs slower at about 130km/h these days.

 

I'd need some citation for that.

 

Chinese high speed rail I've been on running 250 in the open spaces always drops to max 80-90 in urban settings.

 

ARL...........that's Airport Link?.........it may be capable of running at 120, but it doesn't operate at that speed.  Probably closer to 60 in real life.  Advertised vs. practical.

 

Maybe Thailand is different, being the hub of all things safe and effective.

Never was going to happen.

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand's $6.8 billion high-speed rail project, intended to connect Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports, is on the verge of collapse nearly six years after the signing of a public-private partnership contract.

 

 

4 hours ago, wombat said:

I thought the Chinese were funding it

 

If the Chinese were funding/building it, it would have already been completed and be up and running.

 

For comparison, the Laos - Boten–Vientiane railway took 5 years to complete, that's 422km long, 20 stations, 75 tunnels, and cost US$5.965 billion. It's not high speed, passenger trains max at 160kph and freight 120kph, and it's single track with passing loops, but it shows what could have been accomplished.

46 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

I'd need some citation for that.

 

Chinese high speed rail I've been on running 250 in the open spaces always drops to max 80-90 in urban settings.

 

 

 

250km/h when it gets out past Suvarnabhumi, 160km/h in the urban areas.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2493950

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao_high-speed_railway

 

 

 

Quote

ARL...........that's Airport Link?.........it may be capable of running at 120, but it doesn't operate at that speed.  Probably closer to 60 in real life.  Advertised vs. practical.

 

Yes, Airport Rail Link. 60kmh??  Admit it, you've never used it or seen it have you. Ir runs at up to 160kmh, although usually these days only around 120-140kmh, they slowed it down a few years ago. I use it regularly and being a geek I have measured it. I also live on it's route and drive the elevated expressway several times a week and in part it runs directly alongside and you can compare the speed to your own.

Even the BTS gets up to more than 60kms.

If you haven't used it or seen it please stop making stuff up about it, I am really not sure why. 60kms, what utter nonsense.

 

Quote

Maybe Thailand is different, being the hub of all things safe and effective.

Ah, you're just a basher, that explains why you are making all this negative stuff up, got it.

 

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Admit it, you've never used it or seen it have you.

 

Rode it a few times.

 

It was horse-n-buggy compared to actual high speed rail.

 

 

1 minute ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Rode it a few times.

 

It was horse-n-buggy compared to actual high speed rail.

 

 

Yes, it is not a high speed rail system, that's why. It is urban rail.

Wouldn't have been completed in my lifetime, anyways.  Who cares?  Just another sinkhole for billions of baht.

5 hours ago, wombat said:

I thought the Chinese were funding it

Hahaha, Hahaha, Hahaha! 

5 hours ago, wombat said:

I thought the Chinese were funding it

You might be thinking of a different project, the one from China, through Lao, Thailand, Malaysia 

If they are serious about completing this, California has expertise in high speed rail……lol

Misguided Priorities! 

 

The priority should be about providing a via high speed rail link that will benefit the Country.

 

Instead it appears the priority is about who can get their noses deepest in the trough, resulting in nobody eating!

 

TIT😞

8 hours ago, Homburg said:

On the verge of collapse?  Substandard concrete in those supports?  I'll take the bus!

But only if has brakes.......

Call me cynical, but, I wonder how long the government power brokers have had knowledge of this financial disaster.

 

It may give rise to all the recent activity and policy changes by the RD on Thailand's tax reform to generate more revenue for the government to support the ongoing funding of this pipe dream.

Wasting that kind of money almost sounds like an American thing, lol

5 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

You might be thinking of a different project, the one from China, through Lao, Thailand, Malaysia 

That is nt funded by China either - at least the part in Thailand.

How much mo ey gas already been taken and passed around of the budgeted allocation for tge train to nowhere at this point.

Just hire the Chinese to do it, they'll get it done in 12 months at half the price. 

 

While they're at it they should get the Chinese to build High-Speed Rail throughout the entire nation, borrow the money, and then default on the loans just like most other nations in the Belt and Road initiative have done. 

22 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Asia Era One Company is a Thai consortium and rail operator, led by the Charoen Pokphand Group.

Is there any industry/business that the CP Group is not involved in?

22 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

 

Where do you get that nonsense from? It would run at 250km/h.

Even the existing ARL can hit 160km/h between stations and they are only a few kms apart, although it usually runs slower at about 130km/h these days.

 

No.

 

It is very expensive, I agree. If you want a high speed rail built quickly and cheaply then you get the Chinese to do it - nobody does it better.

    Google says the ARL only runs at 100 to 120 km/h.   Every time I ride it--always standing as it is so crowded and only 4 cars--it seems like it is just meandering along.  

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Every time I ride it--always standing as it is so crowded and only 4 cars--it seems like it is just meandering along.  

 

I was thinking the same.

 

I travel on the Red Line which has some short, high-speed sections.

 

17 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

That is nt funded by China either - at least the part in Thailand.

Sorry, but you are mistake, go read this, scroll to History. 25% is Chinese funded, plus using Chinese rolling stock, it is also a joint venture...Thailand, you lie with dogs, you get fleas

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok–Nong_Khai_high-speed_railway

30 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Sorry, but you are mistake, go read this, scroll to History. 25% is Chinese funded, plus using Chinese rolling stock, it is also a joint venture...Thailand, you lie with dogs, you get fleas

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok–Nong_Khai_high-speed_railway

No, you are wrong, completely wrong.  Yes they are buying Chinese rolling stock and paying for Chinese advice, but it is not funded by China.

Obviously you didn't even read your link otherwise you would have seen this:

Despite China offering financial packages for its infrastructure deal, Thailand chose to pay the whole project cost, ensuring the independent ownership of the railway

 

And China isn't a dog. 

3 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

No, you are wrong, completely wrong.  Yes they are buying Chinese rolling stock and paying for Chinese advice, but it is not funded by China.

Obviously you didn't even read your link otherwise you would have seen this:

Despite China offering financial packages for its infrastructure deal, Thailand chose to pay the whole project cost, ensuring the independent ownership of the railway

 

And China isn't a dog. 

Read the full article I linked to...China loaned 25%

Don't worry the Chinese will be more than happy to help out.........with interest, if you know what I mean, Sihanoukville Cambodia comes to mind, being one example in a long list of many. 55555

3 minutes ago, ross163103 said:

Don't worry the Chinese will be more than happy to help out.........with interest, if you know what I mean, Sihanoukville Cambodia comes to mind, being one example in a long list of many. 55555

It would have been up and running by now if they had have got the Chinese to do it.

On 10/22/2025 at 11:05 AM, josephbloggs said:

You thought wrong.

Even wombats can be wrong I stand corrected

total waste of money,     lots of browm envelops idea.  how many people travel from one airport to another