Difficulty in implementing high-speed train to resort provinces

[BirdsandBooze]

A properly maintained modern dual track railway with 150kph trains would be a more versatile option at the moment.

[manarak]

A properly maintained modern dual track railway with 150kph trains would be a more versatile option at the moment.

Maybe, but that has no showoff factor.

[surangw]

who's in a hurry to get to the outer limits ?

[manarak]

Pattaya is in desperate need of a rail or air link. The trip down to one of Thailand's prime resorts is appalling by car especially with the road works taking a lifetime to finish. Personally I'd open up U-Tapao if it were at all possible.

The flight would take 30 mins from Bangkok (after waiting 2 hours for the connecting flight) and then 45 minutes taxi to Pattaya ?

I prefer the 389 bus.

yes and the other week took me 3 hours + by taxi from BKK? i'd much prefer a 30 min flight with some check-in time etc.

if there are traffic jams, the fastest is to take the airport link to Suvarnabhumi and then a taxi from there

[manarak]

another interesting news story that I saw on an unmentionable news source:

The Transport Ministry is to extend Airport Rail Link services to Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-tapao airports

[manarak]

Pattaya is in desperate need of a rail or air link. The trip down to one of Thailand's prime resorts is appalling by car especially with the road works taking a lifetime to finish. Personally I'd open up U-Tapao if it were at all possible.

The flight would take 30 mins from Bangkok (after waiting 2 hours for the connecting flight) and then 45 minutes taxi to Pattaya ?

I prefer the 389 bus.

Maybe binjalin means flights into U-tapao from further afield than Bangkok and an improved transport from there to Bang Saray, Jomtien and Pattaya

well I live in chiang mai and own a property in Pattaya so a hop from chiang mai to U-Tapao seems vastly preferable than via car from BKK

the rail of course benefits passenger-intensive routes, I doubt CNX-PTY would generate enough traffic for many flights.

[espinoza]

High speed on 143,5 cm gauge ????

[ldnguy]

I can already see the news reports of idiots trying to beat a high speed train across a RR crossing. Officials here are not smart enough to put in crossing barricades and the locals are not smart enough to know that they are there to stop traffic and protect lives. After all, they have their mini-shrines and good luck charms plastered all over their vehicles.

Oh dear. where do you live, under a rock. What are these mysterious crossings you talk about. I suggest you go take a look at some high-speed train lines before writing such utter nonsense.

[ExPratt]

Well thats a surprise

[ExPratt]

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

I can already see the news reports of idiots trying to beat a high speed train across a RR crossing. Officials here are not smart enough to put in crossing barricades and the locals are not smart enough to know that they are there to stop traffic and protect lives. After all, they have their mini-shrines and good luck charms plastered all over their vehicles.

They will not have Road crossings on High speed railways , if a train hits anything at that speed its airborne torpedo time

[ExPratt]

Ridiculous suggestion in the first place , High speed rail of 150km to a Holiday resort.

They have not even started the one in the North with the Chinese , No contract , no design , no alignment or route plan, so I'd put the Pattaya Bangkok High speed Railway down us maybe sometime in 2050 if ever

[Jingthing]

Hopefully, there will be imaginary direct connections of the imaginary high speed trains to the imaginary Pattaya Monorail system ...

[ExPratt]

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

Hopefully, there will be imaginary direct connections of the imaginary high speed trains to the imaginary Pattaya Monorail system ... alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

With all these high speeds being built they'll probably have to put the brakes on the Thai space program

[cooked]

Ridiculous suggestion in the first place , High speed rail of 150km to a Holiday resort.

They have not even started the one in the North with the Chinese , No contract , no design , no alignment or route plan, so I'd put the Pattaya Bangkok High speed Railway down us maybe sometime in 2050 if ever

I think that when the Thais talk about high speed trains they mean something something significantly less than 300Km/hour. Doing that speed to Pattaya would mean that the train would be accelerating or decelerating most of the time. Two hours from Bangkok in safety and comfort would do it for me. HOWEVER. If we are talking about rationalising transport in general maybe we could have railway stations and bus stations directly linked to each other? Is that too much to ask? Park and Ride? Any link to Pattaya is likely to be built without any consideration as to how people can use it without queuing for a taxi.

[ExPratt]

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

Ridiculous suggestion in the first place , High speed rail of 150km to a Holiday resort.

They have not even started the one in the North with the Chinese , No contract , no design , no alignment or route plan, so I'd put the Pattaya Bangkok High speed Railway down us maybe sometime in 2050 if ever

I think that when the Thais talk about high speed trains they mean something something significantly less than 300Km/hour. Doing that speed to Pattaya would mean that the train would be accelerating or decelerating most of the time. Two hours from Bangkok in safety and comfort would do it for me. HOWEVER. If we are talking about rationalising transport in general maybe we could have railway stations and bus stations directly linked to each other? Is that too much to ask? Park and Ride? Any link to Pattaya is likely to be built without any consideration as to how people can use it without queuing for a taxi.

Agreed High speed is defined as 220km+. As you say, something completing the journey in one or 2 hours is more than adequate , 100 -140kph can even be 1 metre gauge ballast track. Malaysia use 1 metre gauge and they have an adequate system , Ipoh to KL 2 hours

[noitom]

Thais long so much to be like others and to be able to plan, implement, secure and operate modern infrastructure. The problem for Thais is that they never start these projects for the benefit of ordinary Thais but rather how to line their pockets. So they get what the karma brings around.

[jcisco]

Did they just mention increasing land prices as a benefit from the development of this project. For whom? Increasing prices in a cash rich environment is order to reduce speculation is usually a good thing, though rather lacking in deterrence these days, but overall as a benefit nope. Unless you already have land near the stations, it is not. And all that does is help the land owner exit from the community around the station and impact those moving into the area to provide the services.

I don't get their logic, or maybe they let a personal interest benefit slip into their comments.

[jabis]

Been in a train derailing twice - would not want to experience the same travelling > double the velocity

[ExPratt]

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

Did they just mention increasing land prices as a benefit from the development of this project. For whom? Increasing prices in a cash rich environment is order to reduce speculation is usually a good thing, though rather lacking in deterrence these days, but overall as a benefit nope. Unless you already have land near the stations, it is not. And all that does is help the land owner exit from the community around the station and impact those moving into the area to provide the services.

I don't get their logic, or maybe they let a personal interest benefit slip into their comments.

What most "Authorities" do when planning a new Railway is place the stations outside of the Main town , they then buy all the surrounding land. When the new station is built the land surrounding it becomes a prime location. It happens pretty much on every new railway that is built in Asia. Sometimes it is impossible to put a new station in an old town also ,

[givenall]

Oh the bliss of people that have never seen a high speed train

There are no crossing roads !!!

Well this Thailand, anything is possible

[NongKhaiKid]

Saying this will be difficult to implement is at least mild criticism and more than a little obstructionist given who made the call for this scheme.

Attitude Adjustment on the horizon ?

[ratcatcher]

They cannot keep the low speed ones on the rails - don't want to try a high speed fall off the tracks.....

Yep. Only in poor old Thailand. Everywhere else is run to perfection eh? Sorry to burst your bubble, but as an ex rail, mishaps and accidents happen all over the world, sometimes with higher casualties than here in Thai.

[ExPratt]

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

They cannot keep the low speed ones on the rails - don't want to try a high speed fall off the tracks.....

Yep. Only in poor old Thailand. Everywhere else is run to perfection eh? Sorry to burst your bubble, but as an ex rail, mishaps and accidents happen all over the world, sometimes with higher casualties than here in Thai.

That inquiry has not come back yet has it,. I know they said he was speeding but I remember when I saw that for the first time , It appears that the first passenger carriage is off before he gets into the curve and then drags the rest off. So it appears he applied the brakes to slow before the curve and it spat the carriage off

[2fishin2]

I want to know how many of the Thais that will use the rail can afford the ticket prices?? It wont be cheap traveling and the people who use trains are not the wealthiest. A high speed train ticket from northern Honshu to Tokyo in Japan is same price as airfare.

But then again in Phuket a taxi from Chalong to the airport is same price as budget airfare from Phuket to BKK so, who knows what will happen.

[manhood]

These trains would make sence and boost the tourism on one hand side and on the other hand side it would make traveling to these destinations more save and much quicker and would attract many people: but the wholke infastructure would be needed to developed as well...

so lets have a dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as this will come in reality not within the next 25 years!!!!!!!

No money: no go!

[Godders]

Pattaya is in desperate need of a rail or air link. The trip down to one of Thailand's prime resorts is appalling by car especially with the road works taking a lifetime to finish. Personally I'd open up U-Tapao if it were at all possible.

Pattaya's most desperate needs is for a good, long flush.

[stopthegreed]

Get Yingluk to pay for it.

[Godders]

For such relatively short runs, such a grandiose and immensely costly scheme is unnecessary. The stated objectives could be achieved more easily and cheaply by upgrading lines and rolling stock and improving frequency and standard of services between major tourist resorts.

Who would not welcome a decent alternative to using the ramshackle bus services and kamikazi minivans which ply between Bangkok and southern watering holes like Cha-Am and Hua Hin? But the present rail services are a joke, with infrequent services subject to endless delays and breakdowns, scant regard for customer comfort - and higher prices than those charged by the opposition..

Whatever scheme is finally agreed upon, the first priority should be to get a grip of the rail management responsible for the present shambles.

[ExPratt]

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

These trains would make sence and boost the tourism on one hand side and on the other hand side it would make traveling to these destinations more save and much quicker and would attract many people: but the wholke infastructure would be needed to developed as well...

so lets have a dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

as this will come in reality not within the next 25 years!!!!!!!

No money: no go!

Moderate speed 120 -140 , Journey time 1 -15ish makes sense , yes. High speed train does not make sense and I'll bet you my nuts it doesn't happen on these routes

[Moonlover]

Its 60 miles bangkok to pattaya.

Is this really worth having a high speed train for?

Further than you may wish. Actually 150km 0r about 93 miles.. Still not worth the expense of an HST.

No doubt TAT would be selling the train experience. "By train to Pattaya, you will come faster."

Far better to extend the elevated Airport Rail Link which is quite fast and improve the "maintenance".

It could even be extended to U Tapao and Sattahip.

A high speed line over this distance is perfectly feasible. The Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity railway in Southern China runs at 200k/m for 116 kilometres serving 22 stations in total. I've been on it and the service is excellent.

Whether or not there is a viable market for it another matter, but any effort that this country can make to resolve its current chronic road traffic problems is, IMO, worth pursuing.