Bangkokians can expect a monorail soon

[webfact]

Bangkokians can expect a monorail soon

BANGKOK, 20 November 2014 (NNT)-The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is now preparing for the monorail construction after receiving the cabinet’s approval.

Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumband Paribatra chaired the first public hearing on the planned construction of the electric train service, known to Thais as ‘Grey Line’.

The monorail service will run on the Watcharaphon-Rama 9 Bridge-Tha Phra route. The cabinet approval to the project was meant to relieve traffic congestion and encourage more Thais to rely on public transportation.

The Bangkok Governor said the monorail would become another alternative to daily commutes. The construction would produce little impact on the environment and landscape. The 26 kilometer railway will have had 31 stations by the time the service is ready.

A feasibility study is already underway to find the pros and cons of the Grey Line. Results are expected to be revealed in the near future.


-- NNT 2014-11-20

[zaphod reborn]

My Kingdom for a single, unified mass rail transit system. How many different smart cards am I going to have to buy?

[KhunBENQ]

What about an aerial cable car between the shopping centers, from roof to roof with airconditioned gondolas

[Mooner]

Isnt the BTS a monorail?

[sprq]

Isnt the BTS a monorail?

No, it's an elevated railway. A monorail, contrary to what many people think, is a railway running on a single rail (mono = single, geddit?) track. It's usually elevated, but it doesn't have to be. You could have an underground monorail if you wanted.

[jpinx]

Isnt the BTS a monorail?

Last time I looked it has two rails

[BangkokGastronaut]

Isnt the BTS a monorail?

No - if you've ever looked at the BTS tracks it has two rails, not one....(mono = one, single)

[sprq]

Is it really a monorail, i.e. a single rail line, or is it in fact a conventional railway with double-rail tracks? Does NNT just mean an elevated railway line, like the BTS lines? It would be nice to know.

[Bob12345]

This is something typical for any person in power: they want to do something remarkable to be remembered by. it happens all over the world, not just in Thailand.

Instead of using the same tracks and cars as the BTS, with which they have experience and can build a huge stock of spare parts and well-trained mechanics for, they prefer something "new" with which they have no experience. They just want to be remembered as the ones bringing "the monorail" to Thailand.

(same thing happens in Europe also where they create hi-speed trains for distances of 50km since it is a lot more sexy then extending the current rail network)

[Chris Lawrence]

But no water mitigation programs to help the country folk?

[Time Traveller]

Hate to tell the government experts but if people have to change from one system to another - which often don't link up - and buy multiple tickets, then probably that's not going to encourage them to use public transport.

Even now prices of public transport are not cheap. But when you have to spend time connecting with different bus or train networks it's just so much easier, cheaper and sometimes quicker to drive

[Traveling Sailor]

"A feasibility study is already underway to find the pros and cons of the Grey Line. Results are expected to be revealed in the near future."

The Cabinet has already approved the project, prior to the feasibility study. What blithering idiots!

[Cuchulainn]

The Monorail.

Built by Somsak.

Driven by Somchai.

[jpinx]

Is it really a monorail, i.e. a single rail line, or is it in fact a conventional railway with double-rail tracks? Does NNT just mean an elevated railway line, like the BTS lines? It would be nice to know.

Conventionally a monorail system has a train with a cross-section like an upside down U over the centre rail which is up on a plinth, but more modern designs are kinda cheating by having 2 rails very close together in the centre. It can also be a suspended system for neater platform access and smaller stations.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/SydneyMonorail1_gobeirne.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Shonan_monorail_type_500.JPG

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bananaphone5000/media/GORILLA3/NYWF64-MonorailB.jpg.html

[zappalot]

The ones interested in a field study may travel to KL to see what a monorail is in real...

[ironbark]

Sydney has just finished pulling down its thirty year old monorail system. Installed by an arrogant "can do" minister it was affectionately known as the monosnail. Totally out of character with the streetscape it was an amusement for some tourist and ignored by citizens.

Ironically, the current conservative govt. Is replacing it with a street level light rail system which will follow more or less the same route as the one that used to run 50 years ago and was removed because it was considered old fashion and interferred with the car traffic.

[jpinx]

Sydney has just finished pulling down its thirty year old monorail system. Installed by an arrogant "can do" minister it was affectionately known as the monosnail. Totally out of character with the streetscape it was an amusement for some tourist and ignored by citizens.

Ironically, the current conservative govt. Is replacing it with a street level light rail system which will follow more or less the same route as the one that used to run 50 years ago and was removed because it was considered old fashion and interferred with the car traffic.

Indeed nice for Sydney, but you have to agree that street space in Bangkok is limited, to say the least. I'd go with expanding the BTS system and installing points so the you can travel from Chatuchak to Saphan Thaksin without having to go 3 rounds of Mueang Thai in Silom

Also get the new airport link on the same system - also with points to avoid passengers changing trains.

The original concept of BTS was good but incredibly badly planned or both airports, all the major ferry stations, all the big Mall areas, the temples and palaces, etc, would have been included

[Eric Loh]

The ones interested in a field study may travel to KL to see what a monorail is in real...

Or Singapore. Really a light rail system and limited cabins as against mass railway that can move more passengers.

[kamahele]

My Kingdom for a single, unified mass rail transit system. How many different smart cards am I going to have to buy?

I think you took the words out of everyone's mouth. Also, with several different types of train equipment, the higher the maintenance fees and upkeep will be as spare parts for each different train will have to be purchased and kept on hand. This is why airlines over the past two decades have tried to trim down the number of different aircraft and aircraft manufacturers they use.

[makkam]

"A feasibility study is already underway to find the pros and cons of the Grey Line. Results are expected to be revealed in the near future."

The Cabinet has already approved the project, prior to the feasibility study. What blithering idiots!

Yeah, shameful isn't it?

A government is proposing another public transport option in one of the worlds most populated and traffic congested cities.

An infrastructure project that adds to its attractiveness to potential overseas investors.

Let's denigrate it now, it's disgrace.

'waste of Money'

'Riddled with corruption'

Too many public transport systems already

Move to Vietnam or laos now while you have the chance..even better move back to where you came from.

You wont be missed,

[bangon04]

Hate to tell the government experts but if people have to change from one system to another - which often don't link up - and buy multiple tickets, then probably that's not going to encourage them to use public transport.

Even now prices of public transport are not cheap. But when you have to spend time connecting with different bus or train networks it's just so much easier, cheaper and sometimes quicker to drive

not to mention the lovely sardine feeling at rush hour, because the trains are not long enough...

[jamiesilver]

Im all for it because the BTS is crap and doesnt go anywhere i want to go.

[Roota]

My Kingdom for a single, unified mass rail transit system. How many different smart cards am I going to have to buy?

With any luck, eventually just one: the Rabbit Card. It's already accepted by the BTS (sky train) and BRT (bus way) systems. If they can add the MRT (subway) as hoped, the BMA (monorail) would probably follow suit.

Anyhow I doubt if many Bangkok old timers complain about the variety of systems. It's all a huge improvement from the days when our only choice was taxi or bus and you never knew how long it would take you to get anywhere.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Isnt the BTS a monorail?

Last time I looked it has two rails

only two rails over the saphan Taksin BTS bridge, four rails everywhere else hehehe

[hkt83100]

Opened March 1st, 1901:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Suspension_Railway

I always wonder why they built this Skytrain instead in Bangkok.

[Bpuumike]

31 stations in 26 Km? It won't quite be high speed then.

[whatawonderfulday]

An interesting concept to have a 26 km line with 31 stations ? That's one less than 1 KM apart. Now Bangkok can become the hub of monorail stations. At that spacing it would be better to have an elevated moving walkway, although guess that concept would not work too well given the proclivity to just stand still and block them if swampy is an example.

[Rumblecat]

Clearly something needs to be down to alleviate the traffic problem, but some sort of unified transport card would go a long way to encouraging people to switch between the different methods- from MRT to BTS to BRT to... whatever the monorail is going to be called.

Am I the only way who hears this song in my head when they read the word monorail..?

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is it really a monorail, i.e. a single rail line, or is it in fact a conventional railway with double-rail tracks? Does NNT just mean an elevated railway line, like the BTS lines? It would be nice to know.

There is advertising around the city for this and the graphics show clearly it's a monorail with the carriage sitting over a concrete beam, somewhat like the monorail in Kuala Lumpur which now has an extensive network and works well and is well utilized, on most lines the next train stops at your station every 3 or 4 minutes.

[maidee]

hope it is not one like in the SIMPSONS ... one that costs a super big budget of taxpayers money and barely works

just add 30% GRAFT on top