Airport Rail Link a model of failure: Thai editorial

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EDITORIAL
Airport Rail Link a model of failure
The Nation

Tomorrow's decision will affect 50,000 passengers and underlines problems plaguing Thailand's infrastructure projects

BANGKOK: -- The Airport Rail Link has faced an identity crisis from the start. During the past four years the service has failed to fulfil its tasks of taking tourists to and from the airport and serving city commuters. Now accumulating maintenance problems have escalated to being beyond repair. The public was stunned to learn that the system could be shut for a year if management can't find another solution to get the trains running again.

Tomorrow the Airport Rail Link (ARL) committee will make a decision that will affect tens of thousands of people. After four years' service and close to their 1.3-million-kilometre limit, the trains are in urgent need of maintenance to ensure passenger safety. The ARL operator had earlier pulled four of the nine trains out of service, causing delays and increasing the workload for the equipment still in operation. Now the four trains remaining in use also need to be taken off the track for major overhaul. Ensuring routine maintenance is a basic duty for any transport operator, but ARL management has left it far too late. It takes seven or eight months for spare parts to be delivered once the order is placed, and no such order has yet been placed.

The complacency doesn't end there.

The ARL board is now dithering over whether to take a shortcut by borrowing spare parts or finding a more immediate source. The operator has invited bids for the urgent maintenance work, but that process has also faced problems and the situation drags on with no solution in sight.

The airport train has been a disaster waiting to happen from the beginning, passenger complaints emerging on Day One. The design of the carriages fails to accommodate tourists loaded with luggage and isn't fully accessible to disabled riders. Delays are common. Customer interest waned. The airline check-in counter introduced at Makkasan station has since been scrapped due to lack of customers.

With safety concerns also now looming, management has been keen to charge its predecessors with neglecting much-needed maintenance. But the fact is that, from the time the Thaksin administration signed the first contracts in 2005 to its official opening in 2014, no one seems to have had any sensible plans for this infrastructure project. Surprisingly, maintenance and safety requirements were not a priority of the existing plan, which also fails to encompass the financial losses.

Everyone behind the project should be held accountable for these failures. They must have known about the running limit of the trains, and that the delivery of spare parts from its maker, Siemens, takes seven or eight months. Such simple facts should not escape capable managers. But, instead, the ARL board's mishandling of the situation threatens to cause not only safety concerns but also severe inconvenience.

The Airport Rail Link should become a case study for every government. We were offered a hard lesson two decades ago with the disastrous Hopewell elevated-train project. Now the airport train is another clear case of infrastructure mismanagement. Elsewhere, governments not only efficiently plan train projects but also maximise earnings by developing land around the stations. In Hong Kong, for example, the government reaps commercial benefit from shopping malls and other moneymaking ventures around its infrastructure projects. This revenue can then be used to offset any operational losses. More importantly, the whole process must be carried out with transparency.

Thailand might not be as advanced in these matters as Hong Kong, but we can at least take a close look at the Airport Rail Link and learn from its failure. Before we embark on a high-speed train project or any other large-scale infrastructure construction, let's scrutinise the mistakes made in previous projects to help ensure that history does not keep repeating.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Airport-Rail-Link-a-model-of-failure-30243536.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-18

[terryp]

a perfect example of what rampant corruption (from the ridicules priced land deals of Makasan to the train carriages that are not designed for large baggage loads from travelling tourists...but a good commission was paid) plus the 3rd world mentality in Government give you................garbage

nothing changes in Thailand as they are too stubborn to admit failure once again....massive waste of tax of which the new government want more of

[MrJohnson]

Yes, a white elephant from day one. Aside from the maintenance issue there is inadequate transport to and from Makasan and that is why tourists never used the check-in options there. It has always been a nightmare getting a cab at Makasan. Bangkok Urban Planning. An oxymoron?

[siampolee]

Well it placed a modern face on a third class logistics system, and why would there be a consideration of maintenance costs ? Forward planing a costing exercise and a safety audit ?

What!!!

This is Thailand we lead the world in all matters as we are regularly indoctrinated told on a daily basis

No doubt though a select few made a little ''commission'' income out of the matter though.

Edited September 17, 2014 by siampolee

[canuckamuck]

What difference does it make, everyone got paid right? Now they can skim the maintenance and restructuring scheme. It seems like all is well. They should build another.

[BSJ]

From the start, they picked the wrong contractor. Should have gone with a British contractor.

Sad how it's all turned out.

[Bender]

subway in New York , Paris, London are more than 100 years old, and they are still working fine...

[ramrod711]

But the fact is that, from the time the Thaksin administration signed the first contracts in 2005 to its official opening in 2014, no one seems to have had any sensible plans for this infrastructure project.

No sensible plans? Seems to be a hallmark of most Shinawatra projects. But what the heck, they were elected so it's ok, doesn't matter how much money was flushed down the toilet.

[chainarong]

This in itself is disappointing , with mega bucks being poured into these above ground projects, the Thai government tender planning department haven't learnt from the debacle of 99, light rail , up and down main, electric rail system, would have done the job at a quarter the cost, truth known an underground system, probably if you are looking at hundred years ahead, would have been the cheaper option ,a serious review should be undertaken of all the city rail system with input from experienced designers from abroad, as this will ultimately extend to other concrete mono type systems.

[bristolgeoff]

shame it worked for many people who work at the airport plus the people who knew it worked and was a good way to get into bkk when they arrive.the taxi was always a rip off and now it will continue.hope it does not shut down

[trogers]

ARL to be shut for a year? What would happen to property values along this track?

[trogers]

From the start, they picked the wrong contractor. Should have gone with a British contractor.

Bob the builder.JPG

Sad how it's all turned out.

Yo! The British does not know anything about tea-

[rubl]

Lots of commuters will be disappointed if/when the Airlink shuts down.

BTW since when is 4 + 4 = 9 ?

"pulled four of the nine trains out of service, causing delays and increasing the workload for the equipment still in operation. Now the four trains remaining in use also need to be taken"

[trogers]

Lots of commuters will be disappointed if/when the Airlink shuts down.

BTW since when is 4 + 4 = 9 ?

"pulled four of the nine trains out of service, causing delays and increasing the workload for the equipment still in operation. Now the four trains remaining in use also need to be taken"

Shh...the ninth is kept top secret. It might have been fitted out specially for mobile Cabinet meetings some years ago.

[madmitch]

But the fact is that, from the time the Thaksin administration signed the first contracts in 2005 to its official opening in 2014, no one seems to have had any sensible plans for this infrastructure project.

No sensible plans? Seems to be a hallmark of most Shinawatra projects. But what the heck, they were elected so it's ok, doesn't matter how much money was flushed down the toilet.

I assume the term "flushed down the toilet" is a euphemism for diverted to offshore bank accounts.

I've used the rail link a few times and liked it, mainly because the trains were half empty as the publicity and signage at the airport is poor.

Why they had two types of trains, commuter and express, I don't know. The journey time difference was minimal.

This is yet another case of not thinking ahead, quite common in this country.

I noticed a lot of work on an overhead rail system close to Don Muang recently. Is this the Suvarnabhumi/Don Muang airport link or something completely different? Ital -Thai were the contractors of course. Will those involved have learnt from the current debacle?

Edited September 18, 2014 by madmitch

[dominique355]

The incompetence of the management is mind boggling.

There was a first warning some time ago when all trains had to stop for lack of part, which nobody had ordered in time. Nothing was learned.

Maybe they should hire some people from Hong Kong to run the ARL.

[ebean001]

Maybe Taxis too cheap and convenient

[kinmaew]

Perhaps ask the Singaporeans for help they know how to build world class railway infrastructure; opps sorry that would involve employing foreign specialists and we can only have "Thai staff" at all times sorry back to Tuk Tuk

[baboon]

Is it an ideal system? Definitely not. However it easily beats sitting in a taxi for hours. I have used it several times and have never had a problem, I must say.

[Bob12345]

I actually loved the airport raillink as it is a hassle free trip into town when you have little luggage (and since i lived at victory monument).

But the planning has been so poor. You get dropped off at one of the stations, which had no escalators or elevators at the start, and then you are in the middle of the city at a busy road. No follow up travel opportunities, information, or taxi stands. Really nice wgen you have big bags and a couple of tired kids...

[klauskunkel]

Thailand might not be as advanced in these matters as Hong Kong, but we can at least take a close look at the Airport Rail Link and learn from its failure. Before we embark on a high-speed train project or any other large-scale infrastructure construction, let's scrutinise the mistakes made in previous projects to help ensure that history does not keep repeating.

Yes, Thailand may not be as advanced as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai. Seoul, but you could have hired some infrastructure experts...as for scrutinizing mistakes, I scrutinized them for you, and it wasn't complicated at all: conceived by a corrupt government, perpetuated by a corrupt government, managed and administered by corruption...can you detect the lowest common denominator in this equation?

[razer]

AGREE - The airport train has been a disaster waiting to happen from the beginning

AGREE - Everyone behind the project should be held accountable for these failures

AGREE - Before we embark on a high-speed train project or any other large-scale infrastructure construction, let's scrutinise the mistakes made in previous projects

One example of the cost of corruption and cronyism. Accountability is definitely on the right track.

[canuckamuck]

From the start, they picked the wrong contractor. Should have gone with a British contractor.

Bob the builder.JPG

Sad how it's all turned out.

Can we skim it?

Yes we can!

[mrtoad]

If travelling light, it's great. However, transferring from stations etc often makes it easier and less hassle than a taxi. I use it on occasions, but often have to take a taxi because of luggage.

[Assurancetourix]

But the fact is that, from the time the Thaksin administration signed the first contracts in 2005 to its official opening in 2014, no one seems to have had any sensible plans for this infrastructure project.

No sensible plans? Seems to be a hallmark of most Shinawatra projects. But what the heck, they were elected so it's ok, doesn't matter how much money was flushed down the toilet.

I think u forget that the Bangkok Governor is an ennemy of Thaksin; He hates him ;

Putting a brake on every idea or law the Thaksin's sister government had .

I don't write there was no corruption when Thaksin and her sister were Prime Minister.

[Estrada]

No need for an enquiry as everyone knows the problem is with the State Railway of Thailand. It should be operated by BTS or similar private operator.

[worgeordie]

Beyond repair in only 4 years !, shoddy work from the start then.

regards worgeordie

[soidog52]

Makassan Shopping Mall?

[mike324]

Bangkok needs some serious help from Singapore and HK, both with very limited land but has done a great job in terms of basic infrastructure. Heck the country will be better of if run by foreigners.

[AleG]

In my time working in Thailand I've learned the Thai problem solving process goes like this:

-Problem? What problem?

-Oh yes that, don't worry it's nothing.

-There may be a problem.

-Delay

-Delay

-Delay

-Oh.... look at that! Now is too late to do anything about the problem, so... meh.