Way clear for joint rail project

[soalbundy]

The thought of travelling more than 50 kmh on a train in Thailand gives me the creeps

[Globalist]

Japanese in, Chinese out. Excellent!

[xavierr]

Upgrading the existing narrow gauge system to a twin track broad gauge is far more necessary and far more practical for Thailand. It would be also cheaper to build as well as more affordable for Thai citizens.

The high-speed railway system is pretentious; it is like putting icing without a cake, but it has bombastic propaganda value which will come in handy for some.

[soalbundy]

Please tell me this will be an elevated railway

You want to fly as well ?? isn't a simple crash at 250 kmh enough for you ?

[English 1]

The Japanese may find that the cost of labour and working conditions have changed considerably since they built railways in Thailand between 1942 and 1945.

Oh that's a beauty mate!

Spot on!

............................................

However at least the Japs know how to build things safely unlike Thailand who don't understand the words 'Solid Foundations' !

[gandalf12]

One of the biggest problems with this network is not the technology, that is tried and tested. The problem lays with the maintanence of the tracks. Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. The consequences do not want to thought of.

Edited May 27, 2015 by gandalf12

[lvr181]

Let the country have some dreams. It can give a warm fuzzy feeling to the people. Whether it is practical in the short term or not. Leadership is 90% inspiration and 10% reality. If it provides a common purpose for everyone, can it be all that bad?

We can all dream and sometimes this provides motivation. Despite the obvious "facts" about a high speed railway within 4 years, the idea may unite people in a common cause.

[sfokevin]

The Japanese may find that the cost of labour and working conditions have changed considerably since they built railways in Thailand between 1942 and 1945.

To be honest with amount of illegal foreign workers its probably not gone up that much

True... and the working conditions have not changed much either...

[Nobb]

Great job this is surely a true winner!

[DaveinAsia]

The one and only purpose this project has is to line the pockets of a few people within the upper echelons. At the expense of Thai tax payers of course.

Anyone who believes that this project is to improve Thailand's infrastructure for the use of the common man, is obviously in a deep sleep or still intoxicated from last night.

A much better investment of the Thai tax payers money would be to extend the already existing railroads to all corners of the nation so that those bloody trucks can get of the roads

Edited May 27, 2015 by DaveinAsia

[connda]

...a plan that I'm sure will promptly derail, as is often that case with anything 'railroad' between BKK and CM.

[connda]

The Japanese may find that the cost of labour and working conditions have changed considerably since they built railways in Thailand between 1942 and 1945.

I'm sure there will be a shortage of expendable POWs to do the grunt work.

[MZurf]

Don't get me wrong, a high speed rail network in Thailand would be brilliant and is much needed given the state of the existing rail infrastructure.

However, there's no chance this will be open by 2019. Why do they come out with such a ridiculous time scale for construction of a project of this magnitude?

They are only setting themselves up for all when it will inevitably run 5 years over schedule.

It would take the best part of four years just to survey and clear the land.

As I said in another thread, HS2, which is the proposed high speed train project in the UK, will take the almost a decade to construct the govt estimates and is only 119km long in Phase 1.

Anyway, here is a photo from BBC Thai of what the high speed train will look like:

I guess this is the Chiang Mai end of the new line due to the apparent poor visibility in the illustration.....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between Thailand and Japan on the joint development of a high-speed railway from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and a feasibility study for the Mae Sot-Mukdahan railway to connect the eastern and the western economic corridors.

If an east-west economic corridor was something that existed then there would be an airline flying that route.

As it is..

[mango66]

not in the headline is the small matter of hand outs to rubber farmers. I don't quite get why this is ok and the rice scheme was not but there you go...

you should read more ,

than you can see the diference of rice and rubber !

For rubber it is a once payment of 15.000,- thats it;

In rice sheme, thaksin sucked off 500 billion, or more,

for rice which did not exist !!

The money was transferred tho his and his cronies pockets,

but not to the farmers , except some RED in the north;

For other rice farmers, Gen. Prayouths GVT paid to the rice farmers that money back,

which was sucked in by Thaksins !!

[mango66]

I would rather use this money to make a Berlin wall to be protected

from the red sh..t from Noth !!

[mango66]

One of the biggest problems with this network is not the technology, that is tried and tested. The problem lays with the maintanence of the tracks. Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. The consequences do not want to thought of.

dont worrie !!

A high speed train with 250 km/hr will not recognise a bycicle or a human on the rail !!

its like a fly on your windshield;

[ExPratt]

One of the biggest problems with this network is not the technology, that is tried and tested. The problem lays with the maintanence of the tracks. Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. The consequences do not want to thought of.

High speed should be built with components and tolerance that are "Low maintenance" . If its built properly there should be very little maintenance , plenty of track inspections, TRVs for Top and line and Ultrasound for Rail problems . They should and the Must put a fence up around the entire Railway , also level crossings should /will be done a way with , bridges , tunnels and a specialty in Asia a PMB , pedestrian and motor bike bridge

[Jay Sata]

Where are they going to get the passengers?

More importantly will they want to pay?

The numbers dont stack up and as others have pointed out Thailand has a bad record with low speed transport never mind the thought of what will end up on those tracks.

[BSJ]

One of the biggest problems with this network is not the technology, that is tried and tested. The problem lays with the maintanence of the tracks. Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. The consequences do not want to thought of.

" Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. " They have thought of that and come up with the bicycle grab to be installed under the front coupler. When the train gets to the next station an assistant removes it and resets the catch mechanism for the next one.

[jonw8uk]

Is it feasible?

To compare, the Korean state owned KTX service (300km/h) between Seoul and Busan (411km) costs around 1700thb

GDP (PC) of Korea 26000 USD

GDP (PC) of Thailand 5800 USD

What will the ticket cost be?

Compared to flights?

What does the overnight train cost now?

Can people afford it, and do they have the pasenger number requirement between Bangkok and CM??

[connda]

One of the biggest problems with this network is not the technology, that is tried and tested. The problem lays with the maintanence of the tracks. Imagine the train at full speed and someone has left an old bicycle on the track. The consequences do not want to thought of.

High speed should be built with components and tolerance that are "Low maintenance" . If its built properly there should be very little maintenance , plenty of track inspections, TRVs for Top and line and Ultrasound for Rail problems . They should and the Must put a fence up around the entire Railway , also level crossings should /will be done a way with , bridges , tunnels and a specialty in Asia a PMB , pedestrian and motor bike bridge

LMAO. Oh dude, I live about 150 meters from the Lampang - Chiang Mai section of the track. Plenty of track inspections? What planet do you live on (I don't mean that in a bad way) Fences, inspections, Omg. I think not. Anyway, this I guarentee will never get off the ground (or even the few millimeters above the track that they will fly on).

[Waldkater41]

Who the hell needs a High Speed Train in Thailand now??? The government?

May be they better check on the roads outside of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.

And build proper roads in this country.

But those railway and train is a must.......for sure

[lapd]

Always get a kick out of the comments. How it will never happen, what about maintenance, a bike on the tracks...blah blah. As if other countries don't have the same issues to deal with for high speed trains. That is why they are getting the Japanese to help. They will figure it out and it will happen eventually one way or another. The only issue is cost. That is all. With enough money you can build a safe and fast system anywhere. The technology and capability to do it are not issues. Nobody is better at this than the Japanese.

IMHO they should concentrate on Bkk to Rayong first. Much shorter distance therefore much less expensive. Trying to go all the way to Chang Mai from the get go will probably make this project way too expensive to make it feasable. My guess is that the estimates will be really really expensive (and in reality would end up being much more expensive) and the Chang Mai part will be put on the back burner.

Edited May 30, 2015 by lapd

[lvr181]

There is a very good chance that the new railway system will go ahead! Much money to be made by many people associated with this project. Whether it is viable (and safe) is a different story.

Edited May 31, 2015 by lvr181

[millwall_fan]

Way clear for joint rail project

All the appropriate 'fees' must have been paid then....

[ChrisY1]

This is a crazy idea , that I believe Thailand cannot afford , a show piece for the general to say look what I did for Thailand .

Thailand doesn't need a high speed train , that may not compete favourably with the quicker flight and compatible airfare .

Thailand could use a twin track broad gage railway that can serve a reasonably fast passenger service and to carry freight .

As for extending it into China , the Chinese may be numerous as tourists , but are notably ill mannered .

Quite right......he obviously believes he's incredibly important and that he must leave a legacy...... Inteligence similar to Fat Boy Kim.......

[cooked]

This project will give work to minibus drivers that are put out of work. driving the trains so that has to be a good thing.

Come on guys, we just want a safe and not too expensive train service, new rolling stock with double tracks. As someone that has used the Eurostar high speed train Lausanne - Paris a few times, I can assure you that these cramped carriages with hardly any room for baggage are not my favourite mode of transport. (The rude French conductors don't help. but that's another story).

If this is about freight, then high speed is not important, just reliability and cost.

[stoneyboy]

I'm not entirely sure I would like to use a train here travelling at 250 kph.

[lvr181]

"Joint partnership!"

Mmmmmmm.....who is doing the smoking here

A scenario that seems a little surreal in many ways. Possible but practicable?