Skytrain To Connect With Thonburi On May 15

[The Philosopher]

<snip>

When will the new rolling stock arrive from Germany I wonder?

I noticed 5 new trains parked on the new section of line out towards swampy yesterday.

Did you get their serial numbers

[MKAsok]

Is this a joke map, or does it has some background?

I believe it's supposed to represent one of the 'master plans.' See here for more info...

Edited March 31, 2009 by MKAsok

[fresnoboy]

Is this a joke map, or does it has some background?

I believe it's supposed to represent one of the 'master plans.' See here for more info...

Having seen these maps, and plans, my thought is that opium must still be readily available.

[Crossy]

I was wondering the same. Coming from Silom, immediately before Saphan Takisin station the two track merge into one for the station, immediately after the station there are two tracks again. Weird, but when they originally built it they probably did not plan for the Thonburi extension. Lack of foresight.

Actually Saphan Taksin station was supposed to be a temporary station and be removed when the line was extended, unfortunately it has become one of the busier stations being right next to the boat pier, so it has to stay. No space for platforms (road in the way) so we're stuck with this weird operational nightmare.

According to the signalling chaps it will (just) work at peak times, we shall see

[webfact]

I hope the extension will actually end the daily traffic nightmare at Surasak Intersection and relieve outbound Sathorn traffic...?

But everybody has to have hopes...

Edited March 31, 2009 by webfact

[sriracha john]

A Skytrain takes a trial run across the Chao Phaya River parallel to Taksin Bridge at 1.40am yesterday. The new route will extend 2.2 kilometres from Taksin Bridge station onto the Thonburi side.

The Nation

[marhas1]

You can see the location of the two stations in Thonburi on Google Map

[webfact]

Somewhere I read Skytrain will offer free rides on the Silom line from May 15 until HM The Queen birthday in August when the extension officially will open.

Is that a rumor or true?

Edited May 7, 2009 by webfact

[Scott]

So where is the closest parking area that would be safe?

[sabaijai]

Somewhere I read Skytrain will offer free rides on the Silom line from May 15 until HM The Queen birthday in August when the extension officially will open.

Is that a rumor or true?

True.

[sriracha john]

BTS extension across Chao Phraya to be launched on May 15

BANGKOK, 13 May 2009 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration would hold the grand opening of the new sky train route across the Chao Phraya River on May 15.

Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra said today that the new 2.2- kilometer sky train route linking Silom-Taksin-Wongwienyai would come into operation on May 15.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would chair the grand opening ceremony at 05.00 a.m. The new BTS route would be Thailand’s first sky train running across Chao Phraya River.

On May 15, customers could use the sky train service at Thonburi and Wongwienyai stations as of 08.00 a.m. while the other stations would be operated at the normal time of 06.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.

The new sky train would provide service to the public free of charge during its first three months and it would start charging the fare of 15-40 baht from August 13 onwards.

-- NNT 2009-05-13

[MKAsok]

BTS extension across Chao Phraya to be launched on May 15

On May 15, customers could use the sky train service at Thonburi and Wongwienyai stations as of 08.00 a.m. while the other stations would be operated at the normal time of 06.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.

Trains have actually been running back and forth all day today to Wongwian Yai. Last night was chaos on the Silom line. Trains were getting stuck at Siam, outside Surasak and outside Saphan Taksin for long periods, presumably because of the bottleneck at Saphan Taksin.

[sriracha john]

*published yesterday which makes the ceremony today*

PM to preside over new BTS extension tomorrow

BANGKOK, 14 May 2009 (NNT) - Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra announced that the new extension of the BTS Skytrain would be officially inaugurated tomorrow with the Prime Minister as the host of the ceremony.

M.R. Sukhumbhand announced that, at 5 am tomorrow, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would preside over the opening ceremony of the new 2.2-kilometer skytrain extension, linking between Taksin Bridge Station and Wong Wian Yai Station on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. This addition to the BTS Skytrain will mark the first of its kind across Chao Phraya River.

Thonburi Station and Wong Wian Yai Station will begin their operations tomorrow and continue daily for 3 months for free of charge, from 6 am till midnight. Fare collection will start on August 13. Other BTS stations will be open and collect fares as usual.

-- NNT 2009-05-14

[Sarpedon]

The queues waiting for the Silom line at Siam yesterday were ridiculous, the whole platform was swamped with commuters, so much so that the people arriving from the Siam line barely had enough space to step off the train. I hope this is not a sign of things to come!

[MKAsok]

I hope this is not a sign of things to come!

Yeah, it's not looking great at the moment. Same problems again last night with delays on the line around Surasak/Saphan Thaksin and someone was telling me when they were at Saphan Thaksin yesterday morning, the staff closed the whole platform and kept everyone waiting on the level below (they had already passed the barriers, so they were pretty much stuck in there) for about 15 minutes.

[sriracha john]

New Skytrain route over river begins operation; commuters get three-month free ride

BANGKOK, May 15 (TNA) – A new extension of the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) or so-called Skytrain connecting Thonburi with downtown Bangkok goes into operation today, helping commuters avoid notorious traffic jams from the Taksin Bridge to Sathorn Road while effortlessly crossing the busy Chao Phrya River.

The new 2.2 kilometer elevated train extension route from Saphan Thaksin station to Wong Wian Yai is Thailand’s first BTS train running across the river to facilitate people living on the Thonburi side wishing to travel to the main business areas of the city.

A free ride on the route is also offered to the public during the first three months it was announced after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presided over the launching of the new route.

He told reporters the government will go ahead with electric train route extensions to cover all areas of the city of Bangkok.

Public transportation development is an urgent policy priority for the government and necessary to help stimulate the economy, he said.

-- TNA 2009-05-15

[animatic]

Well no train wrecks so far.

Nice the 3 months free access too.

[webfact]

Is the free ride offer valid only between Saphan Thaksin station to Wong Wian Yai or <---->

or can we enjoy free rides on the entire Silom line?

[h90]

Is the free ride offer valid only between Saphan Thaksin station to Wong Wian Yai or <---->

or can we enjoy free rides on the entire Silom line?

only!

Went today from Siam, in Surasak we had to leave the train and wait for the next one.

I expected that it is complete full at 16.45, but it wasn't that bad.

Everything went fine. no complains

[sriracha john]

the new stations on a map:

[HagenvonTronje]

PM to preside over new BTS extension tomorrow

BANGKOK, 14 May 2009 (NNT) - Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra announced that the new extension of the BTS Skytrain would be officially inaugurated tomorrow with the Prime Minister as the host of the ceremony.

...

source & more pics

[sriracha john]

Extended train line hurts ferry operator

Ferry operators under the Taksin Bridge complained of a drop in revenue with the opening of the extended BTS electric railway line for commuting to Wong Wian Yai yesterday. The operators said if people continued to shun the boats in favour of the train, they may have to change jobs.

The extended route from the Taksin station to the newly-constructed Wong Wian Yai station will serve commuters free of charge for three months. Ferry operators are not certain if customers will return after the free-ride period ends. Boonserm Supaporn, the owner of Subthananakorn Co that operates ferries on the section of the river, complained yesterday that customers dwindled in number after the 2.2km-long extended line to Thon Buri came into service yesterday morning.

He expects the number of regulars using his ferry service, which charges three baht a ride, would drop by 30% on weekdays from 12,000 people a day and by 70-80% on weekends from 7,000 passengers a day.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-16

[h90]

Extended train line hurts ferry operator

Ferry operators under the Taksin Bridge complained of a drop in revenue with the opening of the extended BTS electric railway line for commuting to Wong Wian Yai yesterday. The operators said if people continued to shun the boats in favour of the train, they may have to change jobs.

The extended route from the Taksin station to the newly-constructed Wong Wian Yai station will serve commuters free of charge for three months. Ferry operators are not certain if customers will return after the free-ride period ends. Boonserm Supaporn, the owner of Subthananakorn Co that operates ferries on the section of the river, complained yesterday that customers dwindled in number after the 2.2km-long extended line to Thon Buri came into service yesterday morning.

He expects the number of regulars using his ferry service, which charges three baht a ride, would drop by 30% on weekdays from 12,000 people a day and by 70-80% on weekends from 7,000 passengers a day.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-16

They'll have to face that! Also the market for horses broke down when cars got developed.....

[webfact]

Extended train line hurts ferry operator

Ferry operators under the Taksin Bridge complained of a drop in revenue with the opening of the extended BTS electric railway line for commuting to Wong Wian Yai yesterday. The operators said if people continued to shun the boats in favour of the train, they may have to change jobs.

The extended route from the Taksin station to the newly-constructed Wong Wian Yai station will serve commuters free of charge for three months. Ferry operators are not certain if customers will return after the free-ride period ends. Boonserm Supaporn, the owner of Subthananakorn Co that operates ferries on the section of the river, complained yesterday that customers dwindled in number after the 2.2km-long extended line to Thon Buri came into service yesterday morning.

He expects the number of regulars using his ferry service, which charges three baht a ride, would drop by 30% on weekdays from 12,000 people a day and by 70-80% on weekends from 7,000 passengers a day.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-16

They'll have to face that! Also the market for horses broke down when cars got developed.....

Yup, and it was known long time to them (8 years?) that an extension will be opened soon... so why now that cant?

[stumonster]

the women in the lime green are much more interesting than the be-suited

I see that the turnstyles seem to have a display also , maybe things are modernising - now they need to link the cards for both subway and skytrain.

Edited May 16, 2009 by stumonster

[otherstuff1957]

It's nice to see Apirak there. Those of you who were here 4 years or so ago may remember that he was the one who pushed to have these extensions completed when the national government wouldn't. He had quite a face-down with Thaksin over it and actually got Thaksin to back down & let him proceed. If it weren't for him, this extension would just be an imaginary line on a map.

He seems to be the only Thai politician who is truly honest. That's probably why his career seems to have been sidelined.

[sriracha john]

The new Saphan Taksin-Wong Wian Yai Skytrain route.

Daily XPress

[sriracha john]

BTS extension to Thonburi popular among commuters

Over 40,000 commuters used the newly-opened Skytrain extension to Thonburi per day, prompting Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Traffic and Transportation Department to proceed on a shuttle bus project to support the traffic congestion around Wongwian Yai station.

BMA Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday that, after the 2.2km extension was opened since May 15, the department reported that there were 40,800 commuters using the service on the first day and 43,500 commuters on May 18.

This was beyond the targeted 40,000 commuters per day, he said adding that the traffic condition around the Wongwian Yai station become heavily congested especially during the rush hours.

Sukhumbhand said he instructed the department to put in place a shuttle bus service there and to study a possibility if the train service could be faster thus reduce the commuters' waiting period.

Sukhumbhand also reported that the On Nut Baring extension should be open for public in 2010, quicker than the scheduled mid-2011.

-- The Nation 2009-05-20