BTS Skytrain hits 2 billion riders
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Almost one-third of the entire world's population has now taken a trip on Bangkok's BTS Skytrain.

That might be an exaggeration given more than a few repeat customers, but two billion riders have now taken trips on the 15-year-old rapid transit system, according to its operater.

"In it's first full year of operation, total patronage of the system was 17.54 million trips," the Bangkok Mass Transit System said in a release. "However at present the average number of passengers on a working day is 710,915 trips, and 562,126 on Saturdays, while on Sundays and Public Holidays the system averages 416,557 trips."

Refill your pass for at least THB100 on Thursday and you could receive one of 50,000 limited edition pens to mark the occasion.

Some other BTS fun facts:

- There are 37 connecting walkways at 17 stations

- The first 2.2-kilometer extension of the Silom Line from Saphan Taksin to Wongwian Yai Station opened in 2009

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/09/02/bts-skytrain-hits-2-billion-riders


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-09-02

I was on that particular run. Seemed like 2.3 billion at the time.

Congratulations BTS. A great system - particular credit goes to the cleaners who do a great job. London, New York etc. could learn a lot!

Trains are very clean but pressure washing floor and stair areas in stations would make an incredible difference

Hit 2 riders and it's a tragedy.

Hit 2 billion riders and it's a milestone... Still, I was a little tickled at the headline.

I love the BTS and MRT. Bangkok should be proud of both.

Excellent .

Good trains & reliable ,wish there were better connections to the airports

And as far as here they keep clean and well the stairways, platforms and trains. Congratulation.

Fantastic service, if now a little overcrowded! Lacks only onething - with all those screens surely they could tell you the expected arrival time of the next train!

so...........is it a good number....?

more important is to know with the inversion thailand had to do to make build such a thing.... is there any profit now ?

Agree. Impressive system, efficient, cost effective and does what it says on the tin.

Credit to Thailand...

Excellent .

Good trains & reliable ,wish there were better connections to the airports

Agreed. Anyone who complains about the BTS should ride the Airport Link. They would soon discover what the BTS would be like if Coco the Clown's retarded brother was running things.

Especially at the moment.

Agreed, its a great system, however the lack of escalators and difficulties for the disabled are a let down.

Could BTS use some of the profits to install more than one escalator per station? Older people and little kids would appreciate it.

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so...........is it a good number....?

more important is to know with the inversion thailand had to do to make build such a thing.... is there any profit now ?

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Me and some other TV members are bts shareholders. And yes we are happy

And for those not yet in the game, the high amount of passengers on work days compared to holidays, shows that it is a "need", not a "want". So it is very firm and stable.

And still too few cars connected on each run, and massive overcrowding in peak times.

I love the BTS, but they need to up their game a bit.

The shareholders are making money when the dividends should be being reinvested. Its time for at least a little progress after 15 years.

A pity BTS management can't competently interpret the meaning behind the statistics.

Hit 2 riders and it's a tragedy.

Hit 2 billion riders and it's a milestone... Still, I was a little tickled at the headline.

Likewise here. I was thinking "My God, what type of hospital bills have they paid?"

I wonder how many billions have ridden the Bangkok buses over the years?

Hit 2 riders and it's a tragedy.

Hit 2 billion riders and it's a milestone... Still, I was a little tickled at the headline.

I love the BTS and MRT. Bangkok should be proud of both.

Re the MRT they did a great job milking the Japanese Gov to Pay for it,

It's good that BTS continues to grow. 6-7 years and all the Great Bangkok would be connected by BTS trains.

BTS Skytrain hits 2 billion riders
By Coconuts Bangkok.

Sounds like a serious Safety Issue to me !!