Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link repair pushed back until late next year

[webfact]

Airport Rail Link repair pushed back until late next year

BANGKOK, 14 August 2014 (NNT) - SRT Electric Train Co. operator has announced that the planned maintenance of Airport Rail Link trains has been postponed until October next year.

The announcement came after former deputy Bangkok governor Samart Ratchapolsitte had urged prompt overhaul of the trains for fear of possible accidents, as the fleet has passed the due date for checking.

Generally, trains are required to undergo major maintenance after running 1.32 million kilometers. The SRTET said all of the 9 trains on the rail link have been in service for 1 million kilometers.

The company is set to hold an auction for repair contracts for the trains on August 19. Maintenance work, which was due to begin in April this year, has been pushed back to late next year.

The maintenance programme is expected to cost around 380 million baht. In the meantime, the company will carry out repairs on the tracks first during midnight to 4AM.

The Ministry of Transport said all related agencies would meet later on today to discuss the details of the maintenance projects.


-- NNT 2014-08-14

[rubl]

Interesting mix of the use of the words "maintenance' and 'repair'.

Anyway, unlike "City Airways" the trains will continue running

[Misterwhisper]

"The announcement came after former deputy Bangkok governor Samart Ratchapolsitte had urged prompt overhaul of the trains for fear of possible accidents..."

Thai solution: Push back the urgently needed overhaul for 13 months - or until a horrible accident has happened.

[doctorproc156]

Yep since there's a potential for accidents and the maintenance is already due, why not push it back another 13 months? Nothing could possibly go wrong.

[ChrisY1]

As we all know....maintenance in Thailand is a bad word........and of course, it's not nessecary to spend money on something that isn't broken!

[JAG]

Memo to self: Use a taxi.

[teatree]

Memo to self: Use a taxi.

I fancy my chances on an overdue for maintainence 4 year old train over a Bangkok taxi every time.

[JacChang]

Cost of potential lives in Thailand < Maintenance 380million

Ok, delay it. Mai pen rai, yung mee profit.

[Lupatria]

Thailand Aviation: Hong Kong based airline not safe for passengers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand needs tourists, but safety is always first.

Any questions?

[mike324]

amazing Thailand indeed, lets push back maintenance for 1 year and hold auctions to fix the track once we pass the maintenance date! how stupid can these folks get?

[Assurancetourix]

As we all know....maintenance in Thailand is a bad word........and of course, it's not nessecary to spend money on something that isn't broken!

It's not a bad word; it's a word which doesn't exist in the dictionnary in 44 volumes

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Rest of the world: Safety First

Thailand: Don't worry be happy!

[Thanet]

Thai railways have a very pragmatic approach to maintenance. It's due when trains fall off the tracks.

[ginjag]

Thai railways have a very pragmatic approach to maintenance. It's due when trains fall off the tracks.

In general Thais do not fix things the BODGE-UP. Here (lays) the problem. if the bodge up goes wrong we "buy another" motor bike logic the same.

Attitude in Thailand--example buy a new Honda M/Cycle when do they take it to Honda for regular service. example 2, Not all but people that buy a new car here when it is part exchanged, where is the service history book.

This seems to ring a bell with Bus companies-school taxies etc.

[rickirs]

Nothing needs to be deferred.

The proposed 8% increase (although why the raise needs to be more than double the rate of inflation is a question for another topic) from 2014 civil servant pay amounts to an additional 31 billion baht for the 2015 budget. Reducing the pay raise slightly to 7% will create enough savings to pay for the maintenance and repairs.

[JoeThePoster]

Keep the black spray paint ready.

[ratcatcher]

As we all know....maintenance in Thailand is a bad word........and of course, it's not nessecary to spend money on something that isn't broken!

It's not a bad word; it's a word which doesn't exist in the dictionnary in 44 volumes

Actually there is. gaan rák-săa sà-pâap. I found it in the 45th volume.

[outsider]

Thailand's Airport Rail Link is an epic FAIL, compared to Malaysia's version (known as KLIA Express). I travel between BKK and KUL at least once a month, so I know. The KLIA Express cuts down travel time by almost half, and is traveller/baggage-friendly. The Airport Rail Link is a farce - heaven help you if you have a huge luggage, and it's not exactly linked to anything. Meanwhile, the KLIA Express chugs into a real transport hub, where you can take other trains, taxis or have friends pick you up - without getting stuck in mad traffic. The Malaysian authorities aren't exactly the most brilliant lot, but their work in efficiently and effectively linking their international airport to the city deserves a pat on the back and then some. There was planning. Thailand's Airport Rail Link, in comparison, looks like an afterthought - let's link the airport and the city - ok - draw a line from here to here - ok - done.

[MaiChai]

Sounds to me like its a dispute over who gets the juicy contracts rather than concerns of safety. Lets face it Thai railways is a joke!

[PaPiPuPePo]

I had a minor but I thought telling annoyance last time I left BKK: the taxi driver dropped me off across the street from what I was sure was the right spot, but "mai ben rai" he said, just go up those stairs on this side and cross over. Okay, so I haul my big bag up the stairs, and....can't cross over. I either have to go back down the stairs, find my way across the divided road, and back up, or I have to buy a regular BTS ticket for minimum fare, i.e. get 20 baht in change, buy a 15 baht fare card from the machine, then go in one gate and out the other, which is what I opted to do. What mickey-mouse nonsense!

[doctorproc156]

Thailand's Airport Rail Link is an epic FAIL, compared to Malaysia's version (known as KLIA Express). I travel between BKK and KUL at least once a month, so I know. The KLIA Express cuts down travel time by almost half, and is traveller/baggage-friendly. The Airport Rail Link is a farce - heaven help you if you have a huge luggage, and it's not exactly linked to anything. Meanwhile, the KLIA Express chugs into a real transport hub, where you can take other trains, taxis or have friends pick you up - without getting stuck in mad traffic. The Malaysian authorities aren't exactly the most brilliant lot, but their work in efficiently and effectively linking their international airport to the city deserves a pat on the back and then some. There was planning. Thailand's Airport Rail Link, in comparison, looks like an afterthought - let's link the airport and the city - ok - draw a line from here to here - ok - done.

Exactly. Malaysia may have its problems but regarding infrastructure and planning they are several decades ahead of Thailand. And the best part about the KLIA express is that it is completely private from construction to maintenance, not a single cent of tax payer money was used on the project and it is still a huge success.

[BSJ]

They say 380 million without having an in depth inspection....I don't get it? And calling for tenders for maintenance....weird! Or maybe the tenderers will do an in depth inspection and quote accordingly.....but only if it's 380 million. Yadda yadda yadda!

[louse1953]

Memo to self: Use a taxi.

Which never gets maintenance.Just sit behind the amulet.

Edited August 15, 2014 by louse1953

[Artisi]

amazing Thailand indeed, lets push back maintenance for 1 year and hold auctions to fix the track once we pass the maintenance date! how stupid can these folks get?

Extremely.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Pray to Buda if they decide to build Nuclear power plants here. Skipping maintenance on public transportation is not very clever.

[trogers]

Thailand's Airport Rail Link is an epic FAIL, compared to Malaysia's version (known as KLIA Express). I travel between BKK and KUL at least once a month, so I know. The KLIA Express cuts down travel time by almost half, and is traveller/baggage-friendly. The Airport Rail Link is a farce - heaven help you if you have a huge luggage, and it's not exactly linked to anything. Meanwhile, the KLIA Express chugs into a real transport hub, where you can take other trains, taxis or have friends pick you up - without getting stuck in mad traffic. The Malaysian authorities aren't exactly the most brilliant lot, but their work in efficiently and effectively linking their international airport to the city deserves a pat on the back and then some. There was planning. Thailand's Airport Rail Link, in comparison, looks like an afterthought - let's link the airport and the city - ok - draw a line from here to here - ok - done.

The fugitive in Dubai drew that line...and he once boasted he can solve traffic snarls in Bangkok within 6 months. His party subsequently added more cars into the city with tax refunds...:-B

[rametindallas]

Delaying scheduled/needed maintenance on the trains may be more costly than they anticipate.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

[Meteor]

To compare KLIA to KL with Suvarnabhumi to BKK one should also include comparing the rates.

MYR 35 for a single journey equals about THB 350, versus THB 100 or even THB 40 for the city line.

[Kalebiran]

"Past the check time"uhhh? So

Why is it still running? Waiting for the first accident to join the other train accidents of the same body that runs both SRT.

[taony]

They should just hire more whistle blowers. Then everything will be fine.