Bangkok’s first monorail clears hearing process

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- The first monorail system project of Bangkok to link Ram Indra Road to Tha Phra intersection has cleared the public hearing process and its environmental impact assessment is expected to be approved by the Cabinet in six months, a Bangkok deputy governor said.

Amorn Kijchawengkul, deputy governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said the 39.91-kilometer-long monorail system linking North to South Bangkok received warm welcome from Bangkok residents during the public hearing process.

Most people expressed support for the BMA to build the system to alleviate traffic congestion in the capital, he said.

Now, the BMA is in the process of complying an EIA report for the BMA governor to submit to the Cabinet for an approval. The complying of the report may take about six months.

If the Cabinet gives a nod to the report, the BMA will consider a method of investment.

Amorn said the BMA is likely to invest on the system and hires its own firm, Krungthep Thanakom, to run the system so that the BMA can set the fare rates.

He said if the BMA seeks co-investment from private firm the project may be delayed as there will be several legal hurdles for a joint investment.

If everything goes well along with the plan, the system will operate in 2019 and the system is expected to transport 128,000 trips of passengers each day by 2021.

The monorail system is planned to have 39 stations starting from the Ram Indra-Pradit Manootham Intersection. It will run along the Chalongrat elevated expressway to Soi Thonglor then to Rama IV Road at the Klong Toey market, Sathorn Road, Narathiwat Nagarind Road. It will then turn to Rama III Road and cross the Chao Phraya at the Rama III Bridge and pass through the MahaiSawan Intersection to Ratchadisek and Tha Phra Intersection.

[Costas2008]

From clearing the hearing process to implementing the project.......I doubt I will be alive to see it.

In Thailand there are 2 major culture concepts.

Cha Cha (go slow)

And Mai Ben Rai (Doesn't matter)

[josephbloggs]

From clearing the hearing process to implementing the project.......I doubt I will be alive to see it.

In Thailand there are 2 major culture concepts.

Cha Cha (go slow)

And Mai Ben Rai (Doesn't matter)

Didn't take long for the first TV Naysayer to pop up with their negativity...

[BookMan]

Maybe someone in the know can help me out.

Is the Skytrain/BTS a monorail system?

if not, why has a monorail system been chosen?

[Local Drunk]

It should have been done 10 years ago... before the the airport link, or the Si Lom extension to Band Wa.

[bkkcanuck8]

Maybe someone in the know can help me out.

Is the Skytrain/BTS a monorail system?

if not, why has a monorail system been chosen?

Skytrain is powered by a 3rd rail, and has standard gauge track.... so it cannot be monorail

Monorail can be chosen for lower volume routes and is cheaper (and likely a smaller footprint).

Edited April 16, 2015 by bkkcanuck8

[monkey4u]

Maybe someone in the know can help me out.

Is the Skytrain/BTS a monorail system?

if not, why has a monorail system been chosen?

Skytrain is powered by a 3rd rail, and has standard gauge track.... so it cannot be monorail

Monorail can be chosen for lower volume routes and is cheaper (and likely a smaller footprint).

Don't forget to mention the massive pain in the ass when they break down between stations

I have fond memories of the one in Sydney

Streets closed as the fire dept. used cradles to lower all the passengers

The one in Sydney was maintained on a regular basis

What about the one here??

[Srikcir]

"Amorn said the BMA is likely to invest on the system and hires its own firm, Krungthep Thanakom, to run the system so that the BMA can set the fare rates."

Clear conflict of interest. And I thought transparency was the new buzz word in this Junta-led government.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Wait, what? What about the Pink Line running ALONG Ram Inthra from Minburi past Government Complex?

What is the color of this line?

[Arkady]

Sounds like the monorail is going to have to cross the BTS at several points. Should be interesting.

[bazmlb]

Sounds like the monorail is going to have to cross the BTS at several points. Should be interesting.

The BTS manages to cross elevated tollways curently, how would this be any different?

[Jdietz]

Sounds like the monorail is going to have to cross the BTS at several points. Should be interesting.

Not a problem, the suggested crossings go something like this:

[sawati]

Too many lines and not enough colors...5555!!

[Gunna]

Wait, what? What about the Pink Line running ALONG Ram Inthra from Minburi past Government Complex?

What is the color of this line?

It is the most of Grey line on some maps eg attached below, with an extension from Rama 1X Bridge to Tha Phra which is sometimes mentioned as a future extension or shown as BRT.

It should cross Sukhumvit close enough to BTS Thong Lor to make a convenient change but doesn't seem to cross near a station on SRT airport line.

[mike324]

will the tickets merge? hope they don't have a 3rd ticketing system!

Now go buy land around the mono rail lines to make big money.

[Rumblecat]

Is there a chance the track could bend..?

[josephbloggs]

Is there a chance the track could bend..?

I think it has to when it goes round corners.

[Slaps]

.

CHAOS on the roads when they do start

Like when they built BTS

.

[teatree]

will the tickets merge? hope they don't have a 3rd ticketing system!

Now go buy land around the mono rail lines to make big money.

There are already 3 systems. This would be a 4th!

[bangon04]

Maybe someone in the know can help me out.

Is the Skytrain/BTS a monorail system?

if not, why has a monorail system been chosen?

Skytrain is powered by a 3rd rail, and has standard gauge track.... so it cannot be monorail

Monorail can be chosen for lower volume routes and is cheaper (and likely a smaller footprint).

Don't forget to mention the massive pain in the ass when they break down between stations

I have fond memories of the one in Sydney

Streets closed as the fire dept. used cradles to lower all the passengers

The one in Sydney was maintained on a regular basis

What about the one here??

So which genius in the BMA believes that this route will be a low volume route by the time (if ever) it actually gets open?

[josephbloggs]

Maybe someone in the know can help me out.

Is the Skytrain/BTS a monorail system?

if not, why has a monorail system been chosen?

Skytrain is powered by a 3rd rail, and has standard gauge track.... so it cannot be monorail

Monorail can be chosen for lower volume routes and is cheaper (and likely a smaller footprint).

Don't forget to mention the massive pain in the ass when they break down between stations

I have fond memories of the one in Sydney

Streets closed as the fire dept. used cradles to lower all the passengers

The one in Sydney was maintained on a regular basis

What about the one here??

So which genius in the BMA believes that this route will be a low volume route by the time (if ever) it actually gets open?

Why don't you tell me which genius can get a full scale heavy rail system from Ram Intra all the way down Thonglor (with three stops down soi Thonglor itself and regular stops along the route), then up soi 38, along Rama IV etc etc. Please tell me how you would do this and then I'll tell you why it's a monorail, and why a genius thinks it should be so.

And to the sneering racist who says even the one in Sydney broke down when it was regularly maintained (and implying that of course the one in Bangkok will break down more because it will be maintained by Thais), have a read of this:

"On 27 February 2010 at approximately 16:00, two monorail trains collided at the Darling Park station resulting in hospitalisation of four people.

On 24 September 2012 just before 14:00, an Ausgrid failure in a local underground cable led to a complete shutdown of the system resulting in the need for cherry-pickers to come to rescue approximately 100 stranded passengers, a process which took several hours."

Ever remember something like that happening on Thailand's poorly maintained BTS system? There was an accident I remember when the MRT first opened but nothing since then and it is a superbly maintained system. So please explain your racist idea of maintenance inferiority here when it seems the Bangkok systems have far better records than the Australian one which was "maintained on a regular basis".

[Lakegeneve]

Actually, it is not BKK's first proposed mass transit monorail but the 3rd of what is now 5!

The Pink Line was the first when it was changed from heavy rail to monorail back in 2011. The MRT Grey line was also first proposed as a heavy rail line but has become a monorail once the BMA took over the project 2 years ago. The same BMA that said that work would start in early 2014 and be finished by the end of 2015!!

You can read post #337 in this thread for more info, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/406991-the-new-skytrain/page-14

LG, 18 June 2013

Grey Line

However, the BMA has decided that the Grey Line (26km, 21 stations) is a priority and is now pursuing it 100% (if that means anything in a mass transit context). The BMA stated late last week that an EIA will be completed for the line by the end of the year with a view to issuing a tender early next year. The BMA wants this to be, yet another, monorail line (sigh!) and believes that the line can be constructed in a 3 year time frame. That would make 3 potential monorail lines (Pink 100%, Yellow still to be decided and Grey) in BKK. A problem for the future.

I doubt that the timeframe that the BMA has stated is achievable as this line still needs much development. However, it is interesting that the BMA is reportedly so keen to pursue it. It seems the Gov wants a major transport legacy before his term expires. It may also help the Dems votes it what becomes PT strongholds to the east of the line. The cost is said to be 32 billion baht but that it not a detailed costing at this stage. Realistically, this should be funded by the central govt via the MRTA. It should also be a heavy rail line and mostly underground.

I'd suggest that it would be unlikely that this line would be built before 2018/19 even with it being a priority of the BMA but let's wait and see if much progresses in the next 6 months.

What the puff piece misses are some major issues;

1) Monorail is not suitable for this line in my view and how will it integrate with the other monorail lines, Pink and Brown, especially in terms of rolling stock and design? There are costs advantages for having a system wide monorail standard rather than 2 or 3 different types of monorail systems.

2) The is a major problem at sukhumvit where is crosses the BTS as I wrote last Sept 2014 ;

In May OTP contracted consultants to undertake a scoping study of the line after the BMA provisionally completed the basic EIA. This study is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. There is currently a big design dilemma regarding where the Grey line crosses the BTS Sukhumvit line at Thonglor as it will need to go above the BTS line at a height of nearly 20m. An underground line in this area would be a preferable.

The south of Sukhumvit alignment to Rama 4 is also a big dilemma. One of the silly options being considered is to build two separate lines both terminating on either side of the BTS line similar to previous proposals regarding the long delayed Mo Chit to Saphan Mai ext.

3) The more recent BMA plan to extend the Grey Line along Rama 3 to replace the BRT.

[EvilDrSomkid]

I don't see this Grey Line happening at all. At least not above ground.

I drive from Ram Inthra on the Chalong Rat every day. Every time, I think where the fark are they going to put the pylons? Next to the expressway? In the middle? And then the issue of Soi Thonglor itself and the a.m. crossing of BTS line.

[Remi080]

Sounds like the monorail is going to have to cross the BTS at several points. Should be interesting.

Not a problem, the suggested crossings go something like this:

Thats the blue line on the picture isn't it?

[berybert]

Only trouble with this will again be the lack of carriages. There is no way in the world 128,000 people a day will use it, it will be closer to double that.

Someone tell the authorities that Bangkok is growing by the day.

[hhgz]

"the system will operate in 2019"

If the real construction timeframe is similar to the Skytrain, add a decade.

"The BTS manages to cross elevated tollways currently, how would this be any different?"

You're correct. When the Skytrain was extended, many TVers commented that it could never be completed, because of the Bang Na Trad over-crossing. "On no, they'll need to tear down the over-crossing and rebuild it." Too, many TVers commented that the Subway could not be built because "it rains in Thailand." As sharp as the leading edge of a bowling ball, they are.

[Alration]

Don't forget to mention the massive pain in the ass when they break down between stations

I have fond memories of the one in Sydney

Streets closed as the fire dept. used cradles to lower all the passengers

The one in Sydney was maintained on a regular basis

What about the one here??

Well the BTS, MRT and ARL have all done ok without any significant breakdowns in years, why should the monorail be any different?

Perhaps the existing Bangkok ventures have performed so consistently well because they weren't built to the same crappy Australian standard that Sydney's was built to.

[Alration]

Only trouble with this will again be the lack of carriages. There is no way in the world 128,000 people a day will use it, it will be closer to double that.

Someone tell the authorities that Bangkok is growing by the day.

Someone better tell BMA that berybert is in on this and has done enough research to know not only how many carriages will be in use but also how many passengers will be using it. I wonder why he didn't tell us what the fare structure was going to be as well?

[taony]

Wait, what? What about the Pink Line running ALONG Ram Inthra from Minburi past Government Complex?

What is the color of this line?

It is the most of Grey line on some maps eg attached below, with an extension from Rama 1X Bridge to Tha Phra which is sometimes mentioned as a future extension or shown as BRT.

It should cross Sukhumvit close enough to BTS Thong Lor to make a convenient change but doesn't seem to cross near a station on SRT airport line.

map-bangkok.jpg

That's gotta be the most extensive system never built.

[Alration]

"the system will operate in 2019"

If the real construction timeframe is similar to the Skytrain, add a decade.

What? BTS construction took just 4 years so an operational monorail by 2019 should be no problem.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Alration