Word Association (2024)

[Lite Beer]

Free ride for Purple Line in May next year before grand opening

Bangkok commuters will enjoy free one month ride of the new Purple Line electric train by May next year before its schedule official opening of the train service on August 12, 2016.

This was what the permanent secretary for the Transport Ministry Mrs Soithip Traisut assured as she led media representatives to Japan to follow up progress in the assembly of the electric trains before delivery to Thailand.

Accompanied her to Japan included head of the Electric Trains division of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA).

The Thai delegation made an inspection tour to Yokohama City in Japan to check on the progress of work being carried out on electric trains slotted for the Purple Line at the J-Trec Co. facilities.

As of the present, all the assembly work on the first batch of 9 units from a total of 63 units have been completed and are awaiting transport to Thailand.

According to Mrs Soithip, the remaining units are expected to arrive in Thailand by January 2016 where they will undergo trials prior to the MRTA and the Bangkok Metro Public Co. Ltd. (BMCL) taking charge of the trains.

After the handover, the trains will be running free-of-charge for the entire month of May in 2016 before beginning official runs on August 12, 2016, she said.

The Purple Line connects Bang Yai – Bang Sue districts and runs on a total distance of approximately 23 kilometres.

Total investment cost of the line is more than 60 billion baht.

The line is of the elevated type and ithere are all together 16 stations along its entire stretch.

The Purple Line begins at Klong Bang Phai where the line’s maintenance and repair center is located and runs along the Kanchanaphisek Western Outer Ring Road before turning off to the left to arrive at the Rattanathibet Road.

From here the line crosses the Chao Phraya River adjacent to the Phra Nangklao Bridge before arrivimg at the Khae Rai roundabout.

It then turns off to the right and runs along the Tiwanon road before turning off to the left to head towards the Bangkok – Nonthaburi Highway.

The line terminates at the Tao Poon station which is also the interchange station to the Bang Sue station of the Bangkok subway line.

In future, plans are being worked on for a connecting line from Tao Poon station to the existing Blue Line that runs between Bang Sue – Tha Phra.

Officials estimate that when fully operational, the Purple Line on average will handle 100,000 commuters every day.

As of the present, passenger fares have not been specified as studies are being carried to determine the most cost effective rates.

The results will be made public as soon as the studies have been completed.

But during the initial run in May 2016, residents of Bangkok will be able to use the new Purple Line electric train that connects Bang Yai – Bang Sue districts. Initial runs will be free-of-charge prior to the grand opening which is scheduled for August 12, 2016.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/free-ride-for-purple-line-in-may-next-year-before-grand-opening

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-29

[Crossy]

Normally any 'free running' is done immediately before or after the main opening date rather than right in the middle of the testing and commissioning (and importantly, staff training) period.

Of course any work in the public areas will have to be halted whilst there are passengers using the stations, so write off May for doing anything useful.

I wonder if the government have even spoken to BMCL (the operator) or MTJV (the systems contractor).

[rubl]

"After the handover, the trains will be running free-of-charge for the entire month of May in 2016 before beginning official runs on August 12, 2016, she said."

What about the two months between May and August ?

"In future, plans are being worked on for a connecting line from Tao Poon station to the existing Blue Line that runs between Bang Sue – Tha Phra."

Rumour has it there is a 1-1/2km gap between the two lines. So Tao Poon and Bang Su are both interchange stations connected by a walkway? In future plans will be worked out to connect the two stations? Wonderful, masterly, really

[Crossy]

There is indeed 1.2km between Tao Poon and Bang Sue, it's bridged by a 1.2km extension to the existing Blue Line so Tao Poon will become the last station on the Blue Line. The Blue line will then continue to eventually form a complete circle-line around Bangkok.

Passengers will be able to transfer to the Purple Line using the same tickets they used on the Blue Line.

The civil works for the link is complete but as yet there's no contract in place to extend the Blue Line track and systems to Tao Poon

Tao Poon station is here 13.806128, 100.530812 on Google Maps you can see the Blue Line heading east and entering the tunnel by the south east corner of Tesco Lotus Prachacheun.

The new SRT Bang Sue Grand station is going up here 13.804700, 100.541992 with a convenient interchange to the Blue Line.

[Morakot]

Of course any work in the public areas will have to be halted whilst there are passengers using the stations

You seem to deploy a rather different logic than most contractors routinely do here in this country!

[ignis]

Needed to be opened yesterday... on Thai TV the News show many KM of non moving traffic trying to get to 'Westgate' which opened yesterday.