New Bangkok Skytrain Stations Are More Than 70% Complete

[webfact]

New Skytrain stations are more than 70% complete

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday inspected the progress of construction at the BTS Pho Nimit Station on the Skytrain's Taksin-Phetkasem route.

Pho Nimit and Talad Plu stations are due to begin service on December 5. Commuters will enjoy free rides until May next year.

Pho Nimit Station is 75 per cent complete and Talad Plu 71 per cent, the governor said.

Wuttakat and Bang Wa stations will be complete and ready for operation by August 12 next year, he said.

Deputy Governor Theerachon Manomaipiboon said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) couldn't start construction of Bang Wa Station until the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) finishes building the mass-transit system's Blue Line.

The BMA aims to work with the MRTA to ensure the project is completed on time, Theerachon said.

Amorn Kitchawengkul, managing director of Krungthep Thanakom, the city's financial arm, said two trains with three carriages each would serve commuters using Pho Nimit and Talad Plu stations. Since only one side of the dual track will be completed this year, the service will be slower than planned to begin with, but once all stations are complete, commuters will not face any such inconvenience, Amorn said.

Theerachon said the construction of 54 lifts for disabled commuters at BTS stations would be complete next year.

Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party yesterday submitted additional evidence in support of its petition against the BMA over its 13-year extension of Bangkok Mass Transit System Co's contract. BTSC operates the Skytrain.

Party spokesman Jirayu Huangsab submitted documents to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) saying the move by the BMA might have violated the Public-Private Joint Venture Act 1992 and the State Bidding Act 1999.

He accused the BMA of intentionally distorting information when it cited a Council of State ruling.

The information allegedly claimed that the BMA - which paid for the construction of the Skytrain track - earned income from commuter fares, while the BTS - which paid for the carriages - received only a fixed payment to operate the transit system, irrespective of its profits or losses.

The aim of the alleged deception, according to Jirayu, was to establish that the investment does not fall under the Public-Private Joint Venture Act.

The DSI's Special Cases Committee will decide on October 10 whether to take up the case, according to the department's deputy director-general, Siwaporn Chuenjit-issara.

-- The Nation 2012-09-27

[kurnell]

I am only interested in the orange line....which hasn't even started yet

[CelticBhoy]

"Wuttakat and Bang Wa stations will be complete and ready for operation by August 12 next year, he said."

I drive past these two stations every day. I can't see how they will be ready by this date.

Would love to be proved wrong, but don't think that's going to happen.

[geovalin]

This kind of articles should always been accompanied by MAPS.

[barryw52]

In this map I have attached In pale green you can see the new BTS Silom line extension from Wongwian Yai to Bang Wa where this BTS line will connect to the Purple Line MRT extension.

Edited September 27, 2012 by barryw52

[hbullinger]

barryw52

Thanks for the map. Does anyone know whether the Southern Bus Terminal will ever be connected to any train system?

[vijer]

And still the new terminals are built exactly the same as the old terminals. No sense in analyzing the problems with the old designs, entry/exit gates wedged between payment booths, entry/exit gates very close to ticket machines, lots of wasted space, silly use of escalators; only one up escalator for the whole platform instead of several up/down escalators like on the MRT. Nope don't learn from your mistakes just keep doing it the same way for centuries.

The new terminals will bring an increase in ridership but the BMA will continue to run with 4 cars per train thus increasing wait times and the number of people wedged into each train. Maybe because the BTS has to pay for the trains and is getting a fixed fee?!

[davejones]

And still the new terminals are built exactly the same as the old terminals. No sense in analyzing the problems with the old designs, entry/exit gates wedged between payment booths, entry/exit gates very close to ticket machines, lots of wasted space, silly use of escalators; only one up escalator for the whole platform instead of several up/down escalators like on the MRT. Nope don't learn from your mistakes just keep doing it the same way for centuries.

The new terminals will bring an increase in ridership but the BMA will continue to run with 4 cars per train thus increasing wait times and the number of people wedged into each train. Maybe because the BTS has to pay for the trains and is getting a fixed fee?!

I think the BTS stations are a pretty good design. They work well, so no point paying for different designs. Also, it's a better customer experience if all stations are pretty similar. So wouldn't be good to have each batch of new stations with a completely different design.

Also, they haven't been around for centuries.

Maybe more trains at rush hour would be helpful, but I've never had to wait for another train during rush hour. Most of the day the trains have plenty of space, so no point having extra trains if the current ones aren't full. There has to be a balance between number of trains and cost. You would probably be the first to complain if prices went up to pay for the extra trains you want. Or are you one of those that think trains are free?

Edited September 27, 2012 by davejones

[Razzler1973]

Is there something that stops them linking this up to Banglamphuu area or even Phra Arthit or Lan Luang area even?

[planr]

The new terminals will bring an increase in ridership but the BMA will continue to run with 4 cars per train thus increasing wait times and the number of people wedged into each train. Maybe because the BTS has to pay for the trains and is getting a fixed fee?!

The BMA doesn't operate any train system in Bangkok. The Skytrain is solely operated by the BTSC. The number of cars per train is not the issue. The main issue with the frequency of trains on the Silom line is the bottleneck at Taksin station where only one train can pass at a time. There are several solutions to this issue, one of which has been mooted recently (to demolish the station). Until something happens with Taksin station, the maximum headway (time between trains) will remain around 5 minutes on the Silom line.

Is there something that stops them linking this up to Banglamphuu area or even Phra Arthit or Lan Luang area even?

Both the Orange Line and Purple Line (Southern Extension) will have stations in that general vicinity. Hopefully construction of the Orange Line will get underway by the end of 2013, but the south Purple Line is anyone's guess.

[Will2011]

Talad Plu station doesn't even exist. It is called Ratchada-Ratchadapruek!

I agree that design needs to be improved. Why don't they use escalators at all entries/exits. We are in 2012 but they don't even meet accessibility standard. How lame is that?!

[Pib]

barryw52

Thanks for the map. Does anyone know whether the Southern Bus Terminal will ever be connected to any train system?

I can't see it happening anytime soon...the current BTS routes under construction don't even come close to the Southern Bus Terminal in Khet Talingchan/western Bangkok. Although the BTS is expanding out somewhat which is good, it's still primarily a central Bangkok transit system.

[Lakegeneve]

barryw52

Thanks for the map. Does anyone know whether the Southern Bus Terminal will ever be connected to any train system?

I can't see it happening anytime soon...the current BTS routes under construction don't even come close to the Southern Bus Terminal in Khet Talingchan/western Bangkok. Although the BTS is expanding out somewhat which is good, it's still primarily a central Bangkok transit system.

Just to clarify there are currently only two BTS exts under construction (Bearing to Samut Prakan & WWY to Bang Wah) and no BTS is planned to go anywhere near the Southern Bus Terminal (though one may argue that the WWY to Bang Wah ext will get you a little closer). Most of the new lines planned are all MRTA lines save for 3 SRT suburban lines of which one, Bang Sue to Taling Chan, is pretty much done but won't open for a while.

I suspect once it starts operating people will start taking it to get closer to the Southern Bus Terminal given how long it takes to get out there, aside for the current van options. (The SRT Taling Chan will be extended 10km to Salaya). The MRTA Orange Line will also terminate at Taling Chan but don't expect western section of the Orange Line to be built for 10 years. Originally, the new southern bus terminal was planned to be located north of Rama 2 so that is could be directly linked with the WWY to Mahachai railway which will eventually be converted to the SRT suburban Red Line (Rangsit to Mahachai via Hualumphong) but that changed.

You can check the full network map on this thread if you want to have idea of what is planned, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/406991-the-new-skytrain/page__st__75

[Lakegeneve]

Talad Plu station doesn't even exist. It is called Ratchada-Ratchadapruek!

I agree that design needs to be improved. Why don't they use escalators at all entries/exits. We are in 2012 but they don't even meet accessibility standard. How lame is that?!

Yes, funny that about the Talad Plu. Most journos don't even do the basic research on a story so we can expect too much accuracy.

On the escalator issue, it tends to be a case of installing all of them at a later date. Remember when the BTS first opened less than half of the current escalators were installed. The rest were progressively installed over the next 3-4 years. Costs are an issue as the BMA had to borrow funds to build this extension so if it means opening it without every single access point having an escalator then that seems ok? There always seems to be at least two access points with escalators with the new exts. (It is also good for those lazy commuters to get a little bit of exercise.) As the article mentions, lifts are being installed to ensure access for the disabled.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Lakegeneve