State Railway of Thailand: Bidding for dual-tracking project soon

[webfact]

Bidding for dual-tracking project soon
Nongnapas Maipanich
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plans to open bidding for dual-tracking of the Chachoengsao-Klong 19-Kaeng Khoi route with construction to begin this year.

According to Soithip Trisuddh, deputy Transport Ministry permanent secretary, the SRT is considering drafts of documents relating to bidding for the 106-kilometre dual-tracking project. The SRT is certain construction can begin this year after several years of delay.

The dual tracking will be a single route in accordance with SRT's priority operations plan, which is not under the Bt2-trillion Borrowing Bill, as the Cabinet had approved this project earlier. Hence the SRT can proceed immediately without having to wait for that bill to be passed by Parliament. Construction can begin right after the bidding process is completed.

The dual-tracking project has passed its environmental impact assessment. Once the tender documents are completed, the bidding process can begin. The Finance Ministry will help the SRT secure funds for the project, Soithip said.

There are five other routes prioritised by the SRT for dual tracking. They are Map Kabao-Jira Junction (132km); Nakhon Pathom-Nong Pladuk-Hua Hin (165km); Lop Buri-Pak Nampo (118km); Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen (185km); and Prachuap Khiri Khan-Chumphon (167km). All those routes come under the Bt2-trillion Borrowing Bill. The SRT believes bidding for those five routes and construction can begin next year.

Of these five routes, Map Kabao-Jira is the most ready for commencement, as four EIAs have been completed. The EIAs for the other four should be completed next year.


-- The Nation 2013-07-20

[worgeordie]

does this mean there will be twice as many accidents?, twice as many

chances ,thinking they can beat a train at the crossings!

regards worgeordie

[OzMick]

There will be the same number of trains, but they won't spend as much time waiting for the track ahead to clear.

[ratcatcher]

Chachoengsao junction to Keang Khoi junction will be double tracked. Why?

Is it used heavily?

Do passenger trains use it?

Any improvements to the infrastructure of SRT is a good thing, but it will still be a narrow gauge, ie 1 meter gauge system.

The much vaunted High Speed Train system will have to utilize standard gauge tracks, in common with other HST nations.

Where is all this money coming from? Is this part of the two gazillion baht budget for infrastructure improvements?

[lee b]

does this mean there will be twice as many accidents?, twice as many

chances ,thinking they can beat a train at the crossings!

regards worgeordie

Yep i think it may

[Deserted]

Also, the stations will need upgrading. You can't have people walking across tracks if there's faster and more trains coming through. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

[NongKhaiKid]

Nothing like positive thinking so they are certain construction can start this year after several years of delay and in several more years the story will be ... ?

[Hornell]

A friend of mine who was a retired train driver used to come over here almost every year. He died in the UK a few years ago. He said he used to love travelling by train in Thailand when he first came here 30 odd years ago, but gave it up in the end because he reckoned they were dangerous. Specifically, the tracks were poorly maintained and the beds allowed to become over-compacted. The engine maintenance was clearly (to him) of a very poor standard and many of the locomotives should have been pensioned off years earlier - in fact he reckoned they probably would have been had the state of the tracks not meant that the trains could travel only slowly. He believed that the Thai network of single track rail lines was in such poor shape that it wasn't worth trying to improve; the whole lot should be ripped up and started again from scratch. In the light of recent events he was probably right.

[Lakegeneve]

None of this is really new news as it is part on a long term, ongoing program where the only new elements is that dates or priorities are changed every so often - usually due to blowouts in completion dates.

It is probably worth just copying a post that I made from a few months ago on another thread as it may help those that who have queries (Post #27), http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626141-thai-railways-set-eyes-on-dual-track-system/page-2

This is a complete govt agency puff piece of old news to give the SRT Gov a few lines and some traction (pun intended). Like many of these types of regurgitated news the facts and context are not even presented correctly.

Firstly, the 2.2 trillion baht loan that the govt has budgeted is for a range of transport and logistic projects. Thankfully, for once most of it is for rail. The double tracking project is somewhat small in the whole budget being under 200 billion by my understanding;

"Of the total budget of Bt2.2 trillion, 64 per cent will fund 31 rail-related projects, 24 per cent will go to 13 road projects, 7 per cent to seven water-transport projects, and 4.75 per cent to four air-transport projects."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Thailands-location-drives-transport-investment-pla-30197376.html

Secondly, the double tracking project has been around for over last decade. It is not a new program. The Dems when they were in power allocated a significant budget to both speed up the implementation and expand the program.

I posted a map of the program on another TV thread last July 2012, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/556919-bangkok-chiang-mai-high-speed-rail-ready-by-2018-transport-ministry/page-10#entry6050255

For those that can read thai the next Phases of the program are detailed in this article, http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/home/detail/business/business/20130305/493255/%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%97.%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%81.%E0%B8%A2.%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%886%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%878%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A5..html

Translated as:

(Note Phases on the above map and the below translation will not exactly match due to recent adjustments)

Phase One:
1. Chachoengsao - Klong 19 - Kaeng Khoi (106 km) at 11.348 billion Baht
2. Map Krabao - Thanon Jira (132 km) at 19.017 billion Baht
3. Nakhon Pathom - Nong Pladuk - Hua Hin (165 km) at 17.856 billion Baht
4. Lopburi - Nakhon Sawan (118 km) at 10.938 billion Baht
5. Thanon Jira - Khon Kaen (185 km) at 17.046 billion Baht
6. Prachuab Khirikhan - Chumprn (167 km) at 10.312 billion Baht
total 873 km at 86.517 billion Baht

Phase Two: from 2015-2020 - 6 routes 1025 km 78.128 billion Baht
1. Kaeng Khoi - Lum Narai - Bua Yai 220 km 18.075 billion Baht
2. Nakhon Sawan - Taphan Hin 69 km 6.259 billion Baht
3. Hua Hin - Prachuab Khirikhan - 89 km 5.499 billion baht
4. Chumporn - Surat Tahni - 166 km 17 billion Baht
5. Thanon Chira - Ubon - 309 km 23.174 billion Baht
6. Khon Kaen - Nong Khai 172 km 14.877 billion Baht

(Note: translation courtesy of Khun wisarut at 2bangkok.com)

In thailand old news is often regurgitated many times as new news. Reading the gaps in facts between the lines makes that obvious as does a simple google search.

[Lakegeneve]

does this mean there will be twice as many accidents?, twice as many

chances ,thinking they can beat a train at the crossings!

regards worgeordie

Actually, the reverse will be true. Upgrading the lines for dual tracking isn't just about laying a second track and installing new sleeps and signalling etc. It also means that crossings are upgraded and improved. Most of the unofficial local crossings will be eliminated. (Most of these are create by locals who are too lazy to drive 2-4kms away to the nearest official crossing).

Railway crossings in thailand are a huge dangerous zone for obvious reasons where people try to beat an oncoming train and they end up getting hit, trains are delayed and the SRT gets the blame - it is not like the trains travel that fast when ave speends are around the 50-60km range. In the whole 4000km network there are 1938 official crossings and 562 unauthorised/unofficial ones.

A report in March stated, "Over the past six years, 887 accidents have been reported at railway crossings, with 979 people injured and 297 killed."

Blame 5 decades of under funding and allowing the network to be completely run down and dysfunction in the upper management of the SRT. Imagine the problems and carnage if Thailands Highways had not been ungraded for the last 30 years!!!

[Thai at Heart]

Please explain to them that dual means lines, not tracks.

[Bof]

Double tracking, or Track doubling in proper english .

[rubl]

Double tracking is much more worthwhile than 'high-speed and with a price which is affordable. IMHO

[pisico]

Nothing like positive thinking so they are certain construction can start this year after several years of delay and in several more years the story will be ... ?

Please!

Let's be positive about Thais efforts to bring their railway system up to the standards of the European 19th. century.

[longtom]

If they would really include the upgrade of these existing lines (+ an upgrade of the 'rolling material') in their 2 triliion plan, and would put aside a considerable amount of that money for these purposes (a few hundred billons or so), and would maybe even make it a priority, and would show up with a reasonable plan for their beloved high-speed-rail ...

then

that whole bloody 2.2 trillion 'plan' might might make some sense at least/last.

But I fear the (next) governement/minister/DPM/... will have new plans latest next week, after the holidays.

Edited July 20, 2013 by longtom

[Bakseeda]

Double tracking is much more worthwhile than 'high-speed and with a price which is affordable. IMHO

If and when the "High speed train" project gets under way , it will be a hige boost for Thailand. It is going to be a raised railway line of standard gauge, raised because it has to be clear of the chances of flooding, and of cattle etc... and only 50 mins from Swampy to Hua Hin . A chance for all folks to live a peacefull life away from polution and noise... Buy a home in Hua Hin now as prices there will explode..

[nong38]

This is an opportunity to bring the tracks up from metre guage to standard guage with all the benefits that will bring, they made that decision with skytrain so what will they do? Which way will be more profitable I wonder?

[trainman34014]

Double tracking is much more worthwhile than 'high-speed and with a price which is affordable. IMHO

If and when the "High speed train" project gets under way , it will be a hige boost for Thailand. It is going to be a raised railway line of standard gauge, raised because it has to be clear of the chances of flooding, and of cattle etc... and only 50 mins from Swampy to Hua Hin . A chance for all folks to live a peacefull life away from polution and noise... Buy a home in Hua Hin now as prices there will explode..

Or.......Don't bother because you will be ashes before they even begin building it....even if you are only 25 !

[OzMick]

This is an opportunity to bring the tracks up from metre guage to standard guage with all the benefits that will bring, they made that decision with skytrain so what will they do? Which way will be more profitable I wonder?

All the benefits? At a huge cost including all the new sleeper work just/almost completed.

Metre gauge is used by ALL Thailand's neighbours, is quite adequate for freight speeds, and "modern" (as in 16 years old in Qld) express trains have a service speed of 160km/h. SRT passenger trains don't have to compete with aircraft - there is a huge passenger pool using buses that will flock to a faster and safer service. They can't afford to fly, why would they pay the same for HSR?

[SSSlongtime]

was in thailand 1970 only the trains have not changed ,about time the system is updated ,new trains to ,got money for airports and roads ,little money for water in rural villages may help few people ,

[chainarong]

does this mean there will be twice as many accidents?, twice as many

chances ,thinking they can beat a train at the crossings!

regards worgeordie

What it means is that there will be narrow and standard guage running on the same track. Signal interlocking will prevents any train taking the wrong guage , if the driver go's past a red light it should be set up that the train runs out of rail (slip points),the only time you will have trouble is when the narrow and standard guage separate and the signal is set for the wrong guage , a driver, day dreaming , could go down the standard when he is on narrow guage.Central traffic control would also be in the Sh!!!tt.

[hellodolly]

Double tracking is much more worthwhile than 'high-speed and with a price which is affordable. IMHO

As long as it is track that you could put a high sped train on in the future.

Makes no sense to put down tracking that would not be fit for High Speed Trains in the future. Provided it is kept up.

Just do a little bit and do it right rather than a lot and continue with accidents and talk of High speed Trains in the future.

[hellodolly]

None of this is really new news as it is part on a long term, ongoing program where the only new elements is that dates or priorities are changed every so often - usually due to blowouts in completion dates.

It is probably worth just copying a post that I made from a few months ago on another thread as it may help those that who have queries (Post #27), http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626141-thai-railways-set-eyes-on-dual-track-system/page-2

This is a complete govt agency puff piece of old news to give the SRT Gov a few lines and some traction (pun intended). Like many of these types of regurgitated news the facts and context are not even presented correctly.

Firstly, the 2.2 trillion baht loan that the govt has budgeted is for a range of transport and logistic projects. Thankfully, for once most of it is for rail. The double tracking project is somewhat small in the whole budget being under 200 billion by my understanding;

"Of the total budget of Bt2.2 trillion, 64 per cent will fund 31 rail-related projects, 24 per cent will go to 13 road projects, 7 per cent to seven water-transport projects, and 4.75 per cent to four air-transport projects."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Thailands-location-drives-transport-investment-pla-30197376.html

Secondly, the double tracking project has been around for over last decade. It is not a new program. The Dems when they were in power allocated a significant budget to both speed up the implementation and expand the program.

I posted a map of the program on another TV thread last July 2012, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/556919-bangkok-chiang-mai-high-speed-rail-ready-by-2018-transport-ministry/page-10#entry6050255

For those that can read thai the next Phases of the program are detailed in this article, http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/home/detail/business/business/20130305/493255/%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%97.%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%81.%E0%B8%A2.%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%886%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%878%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%A5..html

Translated as:

(Note Phases on the above map and the below translation will not exactly match due to recent adjustments)

Phase One:

1. Chachoengsao - Klong 19 - Kaeng Khoi (106 km) at 11.348 billion Baht

2. Map Krabao - Thanon Jira (132 km) at 19.017 billion Baht

3. Nakhon Pathom - Nong Pladuk - Hua Hin (165 km) at 17.856 billion Baht

4. Lopburi - Nakhon Sawan (118 km) at 10.938 billion Baht

5. Thanon Jira - Khon Kaen (185 km) at 17.046 billion Baht

6. Prachuab Khirikhan - Chumprn (167 km) at 10.312 billion Baht

total 873 km at 86.517 billion Baht

Phase Two: from 2015-2020 - 6 routes 1025 km 78.128 billion Baht

1. Kaeng Khoi - Lum Narai - Bua Yai 220 km 18.075 billion Baht

2. Nakhon Sawan - Taphan Hin 69 km 6.259 billion Baht

3. Hua Hin - Prachuab Khirikhan - 89 km 5.499 billion baht

4. Chumporn - Surat Tahni - 166 km 17 billion Baht

5. Thanon Chira - Ubon - 309 km 23.174 billion Baht

6. Khon Kaen - Nong Khai 172 km 14.877 billion Baht

(Note: translation courtesy of Khun wisarut at 2bangkok.com)

In thailand old news is often regurgitated many times as new news. Reading the gaps in facts between the lines makes that obvious as does a simple google search.

I believe the plan you have shown is the over all plan.

How ever it is not the over all plan for the Government to do.

For instance they plan on doing phase one on the Bangkok Chiang Mai route.

What they don't put in their plan is that they plan on private business to do the next two phases.

It would be nice if they were to put forth their plans for the 2.2 Trillion baht loan not ones including only part way. I believe of the three HSR plans the plan is to only do one all the way themselves.

It would be nice if the first thing on the list of to do things was bring the maintenance of all the tracks in Thailand up to safety standards and then start with their ideas for HSR service.

[Elfin]

"As long as it is track that you could put a high sped train on in the future." Quote Hellodolly

HD, from my experience in China, the HSR will need dedicated, elevated tracks with long, gradual curves, as others have said here. That will be yonks away, so they need to fix up/replace the existing rail infrastructure, and when/if the HSR gets built, the 2 will need to co-exist, as not every passenger will be able to afford or need the HSR and Thailand will still need freight trains/lines as well.

[OzMick]

does this mean there will be twice as many accidents?, twice as many

chances ,thinking they can beat a train at the crossings!

regards worgeordie

What it means is that there will be narrow and standard guage running on the same track. Signal interlocking will prevents any train taking the wrong guage , if the driver go's past a red light it should be set up that the train runs out of rail (slip points),the only time you will have trouble is when the narrow and standard guage separate and the signal is set for the wrong guage , a driver, day dreaming , could go down the standard when he is on narrow guage.Central traffic control would also be in the Sh!!!tt.

I think the terminology in the article is wrong and they are referring to double tracking (a line for each direction), a process which has been underway for some time.

[khunken]

"As long as it is track that you could put a high sped train on in the future." Quote Hellodolly

HD, from my experience in China, the HSR will need dedicated, elevated tracks with long, gradual curves, as others have said here. That will be yonks away, so they need to fix up/replace the existing rail infrastructure, and when/if the HSR gets built, the 2 will need to co-exist, as not every passenger will be able to afford or need the HSR and Thailand will still need freight trains/lines as well.

Exactly.

There is no way that the existing tracks can be used for HSR. Hundreds of level crossings would be a nightmare if a train hit a bus or truck on one of them. The HSR will need land acquisition in places to build the elevated track which may well end up taking a separate route to the existing tracks (unless they build it over the existing tracks, Hopewell style).

However, before any of that happens the government needs to conduct feasibility studies to determine if the whole idea is worthwhile. They'll screw things up again - just like the flood-abatement projects - if they don't. Yinglucks veggie trains rather points to the HSR idea being far from thought through.

[hellodolly]

"As long as it is track that you could put a high sped train on in the future." Quote Hellodolly

HD, from my experience in China, the HSR will need dedicated, elevated tracks with long, gradual curves, as others have said here. That will be yonks away, so they need to fix up/replace the existing rail infrastructure, and when/if the HSR gets built, the 2 will need to co-exist, as not every passenger will be able to afford or need the HSR and Thailand will still need freight trains/lines as well.

Exactly.

There is no way that the existing tracks can be used for HSR. Hundreds of level crossings would be a nightmare if a train hit a bus or truck on one of them. The HSR will need land acquisition in places to build the elevated track which may well end up taking a separate route to the existing tracks (unless they build it over the existing tracks, Hopewell style).

However, before any of that happens the government needs to conduct feasibility studies to determine if the whole idea is worthwhile. They'll screw things up again - just like the flood-abatement projects - if they don't. Yinglucks veggie trains rather points to the HSR idea being far from thought through.

I agree Sorry to have been so unclear on that post.

and as I said in a later post the first thing they should do is bring all the tracks maintenance up to acceptable standards.

Then build new lines and these new lines should be able to put a HSR on. Or in 25 years we will be talking the same thing as today.

Today's trains could run on dedicated, elevated tracks with long, gradual curves.

In fact they could even give better service on them with fewer auto mishaps.

Do the work that needs being done now then plan and build for the future.

[callao]

might be smart to build a third rail at standard guage and slowly change over to standard gauge at some point

[blazes]

As someone on this thread said, we will all be dead before HST is a reality in LoS. Especially now that China is "slowing down" and moving away from an "investment' economy to a consumer-driven economy. Chinese incentive to plough big money into foreign rail ventures will lessen.

The future of HST in Asia is on hold pending the outcome of all this immense money-printing world-wide. If the world can pay off its debts when they come due, then talk of HST may be more apposite. Meanwhile, where's the money going to come from?

[OzMick]

might be smart to build a third rail at standard guage and slowly change over to standard gauge at some point

While this sounds logical, it doesn't cater for the technical difficulties. Clearances on platforms, posts and overpasses have to be changed, bridges widened, and curve radii altered. Then you have to buy completely new rolling stock for standard gauge after that work is done, when new metre-gauge carriages are urgently required NOW.