Bangkok Riders Horrified By Skytrain Doors Opening Before Station

[raybal5]

It's MoChit, on the Sukhumvit line.

Doesn't that mean it's the (older) German Siemens trains, rather than the (newer) Chinese Bombardier ones?

Mochit. I love that name and very appropriate for this story given that many people are giving a shit about a door opening.

[T_Dog]

"Mind the gap" takes on more meaning when you see that photo.

[Payboy]

As they say in England " Excrement occurs"!

Probably the first time it has happened in 12 years or more of operation.

It is just the first time it has been documented. I've heard of this happening for a few years. Always chalked it up as rumor, but now there is proof....

Thailand - always no ploblem, until you have a problem.

[thairay]

there was a man on the train who saw the open doors and got off the train, not realizing it was not at the station,he fell a few meters to the track and slowly climbed back into the carriage...he said,"you must think i am really stupid" then got off the other side ....

[alanferdi]

And they want a bullet train to Pattaya.

Let them buy it from the chinese!

[darren84310]

Only one person so far mentioned the possibility this was on one of the new Chinese built trains.

Hasnt everybody noticed the inferior quality of these new trains?

The doors open slower than the originals.

The trains now jerk their way in and out of the stations instead of the smooth run from the original trains.

Look at the floor of an original train (not a mark on it after many years of usage). look at the new trains (covered in scuff marks)

And these are the problems we can notice!

What about the problems we can't see or hear?

You get what you pay for!

[watcharacters]

Fate has it, that years of operation something will give, may be a revised maintenance schedule is in order

Maybe the trains will be taken out of service for a few months while software upgrades are made. that'd do wonders for the bangkok street congestion.

On a serious note, I hardly see how passengers could be horrified about this when it's hardly more unsafe than what i see daily with 12 - 15 Thais riding in the bed of a pick up as it flies down the road. The choice seats seem to be sitting up on the side.

[bangkokburning]

Happend between Nana and Chidlom. Trying to off a few nasty farang headed to NEP.

Ah Thailand, exciting in just so many ways...

[candypants]

This is a not a joke folks. You may think it funny to make light of this, but if you were there next to this door, especially in a crowded car as they often are, you might find yourself face first on the tracks.

Why is there no emergency CLOSE button on the BTS doors?

have you seen what happens when folk here have access to a close button?

Just like in a lift, people here would be all over it, pushing it the second they are in the car,irrespective of what is happening behind them.

that said i have never seen such a button anywhere.

[NoshowJones]

Probably no maintenance in all the years they have been in operation. Some of those older train carriages could use a little TLC.

actually its all german train technology !

its technically impossible to have any kind of accidents or things like doors open outside a station.

the conductor must force it to do so .. (in germany the driver need to have a written "order" to do things like this, have to press alot of buttons and stand the horrible alert buzzer anyway) if he like to keep his job and not want to go to jail).

same as the accident in the MRT some time ago, the thais make it happen even if idiot proof technology make it impossible.

this is why i do not use the Airport link. a 150km/h fast train on a bridge on overhead power support (first of its kind in thailand) ....

just too many things can be <deleted> up by thai engineers and a ccident on a bridge with that speed would be fatal.

I know this is a bit off topic, but any Thai motor engineer who has worked on my car has always given excellent service, and personally, I think you will find this door opening episode as another poster put it, down to computer software.

[Ticketmaster]

BTS Test:

Are the "DO NOT LEAN ON DOOR" signs effective?

I used to ignore them, but I am now rethinking that. Can I get a retest?

[newermonkey]

Can we now expect the doors on Thai A380's to suddenly open mid flight?

[MaxLee]

On a side note the trains are rumbling whenever they stop at a station. Anybody noticed that?

And for christ sake they want to increase the skytrain fees soon for such a bad service,?

And why do we have to pay 15 Baht extra when we go from and to the new Sukhumvit line stations even though we already paid for 30-50 days trips, in a month those 15 Baht extra would be up to 990 Baht extra...

Overpriced for a bad infrastructure in service...

[HerveB]

The train will be the barrel and passengers will be the bullets ....

[balo]

I have been using BTS daily for 3 years , never experienced that doors open before the train arrives to the station.

So this is nothing to make a big fuzz about .

[nullx8]

was this one of the new trains ?

[VBF]

As they say in England " Excrement occurs"!

Probably the first time it has happened in 12 years or more of operation.

But if the safety deadlocks were correctly designed and installed, it COULDN'T happen. Strikes me that something was wired out of the system possibly because of laziness, or dare I suggest, incompetence?

Surely not!

[youngXpat]

I know nothing about trains or the hardware that operate them but is there any chance this could be driver error?

If this would have happened between 5 and 8 pm, the story could have been a whole lot worse.

[bendejo]

Did the oxygen masks drop down as well?

They fell out the open doors.

[DoctorG]

The BTS is fine by me. It is one of the few things I actually like about BKK.

[brewsterbudgen]

The BTS is fine by me. It is one of the few things I actually like about BKK.

Indeed. Compared to the over-crowded, over-heated London Underground and its bad tempered and aggressive users, the BTS is a joy! Even in the rush hour when it's packed, it's cool and the commuters are polite, if rather oblivious to their fellow passengers.

[diddums]

There is an emergency communication system in every car. I wonder if anyone tried talking to the driver.

Heelloooooo.....Heellooooooo....yes...heellooooooooo....heellooooooooooooooo.......

[asupeartea]

I've had buses in Bangkok start to drive away as I was putting my foot in the door AND/OR start to drive away as I was putting my foot down when leaving.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Computer 'malfunction' responsible for opening BTS doors
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Further information has surfaced regarding yesterday’s premature opening of the BTS’s doors, which threw riders into a flurry of (seemingly well justified) doubts as to the Skytrain’s safety.

According to a statement from Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit System director Anat Arbhabhirama, as reported by the Bangkok Post, the BTS’s computerized control room lost its connection to the train thanks to a “malfunction.” The train’s conductor then took manual control of the vehicle, pulling to a stop and opening the doors well short of the platform.

Full story: http://www.coconutsbangkok.com/news/computer-malfunction-responsible-for-opening-bts-doors/


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-03-13

[Payboy]

The train’s conductor then took manual control of the vehicle, pulling to a stop and opening the doors well short of the platform.

Ex-bus driver then?

[MaxLee]

UPDATE:

Computer 'malfunction' responsible for opening BTS doors

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Further information has surfaced regarding yesterday’s premature opening of the BTS’s doors, which threw riders into a flurry of (seemingly well justified) doubts as to the Skytrain’s safety.

According to a statement from Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit System director Anat Arbhabhirama, as reported by the Bangkok Post, the BTS’s computerized control room lost its connection to the train thanks to a “malfunction.” The train’s conductor then took manual control of the vehicle, pulling to a stop and opening the doors well short of the platform.

........

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-03-13

So it's always the COMPUUUUTERS, TECHNOOOOLGYYYYYY, you nasty, nasty computers....

Has anyone ever thought about the BTS train and its compartment maintenance itself???

BTW has anyone noticed, that between Bangchak and Onnut, before you arrive at Onnunt, there's a split second blackout before you stop at Onnut station???? Hint, hint,... anyone????? Long term technical problems????

Edited March 13, 2013 by MaxLee

[Pimay1]

The train’s conductor then took manual control of the vehicle, pulling to a stop and opening the doors well short of the platform.

Ex-bus driver then?

Maybe the conductor needs a refresher course in how to drive a train. Or maybe he needs initial training which seems to be the case.

[belidofan]

I have been using BTS daily for 3 years , never experienced that doors open before the train arrives to the station.

So this is nothing to make a big fuzz about .

i've been using it for over a decade and i definitily would make a huge fuss if it happened...i'ld be hanging on the emergency handle untill the next -regular- stop!....although i would love to see an arogant doorleaner take a hike down, too.

[EyesWideOpen]

I have a hard time buying this story about a computer malfunction....

I am fairly positive that the door opening system on the Siemens cars

would have an extensive set of interlock systems such that the door

CANNOT be opened unless the train is at the proper spot at the station.

There is not way in the world that the system would be set up in such a way

that the engineer could punch a button any time he wanted and open the doors when the train is not at the station.

I am positive this has to be one of the Chinese cars, a country where the word safety is an alien word... I found it interesting that the BTS in its press release did not indicate which car it was. They may be feeling a bit embarrassed at this point...

[diddums]

I have a hard time buying this story about a computer malfunction....

I am fairly positive that the door opening system on the Siemens cars

would have an extensive set of interlock systems such that the door

CANNOT be opened unless the train is at the proper spot at the station.

There is not way in the world that the system would be set up in such a way

that the engineer could punch a button any time he wanted and open the doors when the train is not at the station.

I am positive this has to be one of the Chinese cars, a country where the word safety is an alien word... I found it interesting that the BTS in its press release did not indicate which car it was. They may be feeling a bit embarrassed at this point...

In an emergency....why would/should the only official kinda person on board...not be able to immediately open doors for people to escape ??