Commuter chaos as technical fault hits BTS network

[hawker9000]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

This is the reason for "preventive maintenance". Ever head of it? (If so, I expect it wasn't here...). Don't say it, we already know: there's a budget for that. And we know where a nice chunk of that ends up. The BTS is aging; expect more of this. TIT.

[Tywais]

Post commenting on spelling removed and a flame.

[sawadee1947]

This can happen everywhere in the world.....Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, or some minor countries as UK.....

[Benmart]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

Very fair comment, agreed. Dont send BKK back to the dark ages....I remember pre BTS. Unlivable.

My first visit to BKK was in 1993 and each year hereafter. One really had to plan ahead for trips across town. The moaners and ultra-smart-critics most likely would complain if someone were to give them a pot of gold. "Too heavy" or "His gold is shinier than mine", they would lament. The world doesn't revolve around me and the BTS certainly isn't in my realm of control. I'm thankful it's there and works a majority of the time.

[restfear]

This is amazing

[Benmart]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

This is the reason for "preventive maintenance". Ever head of it? (If so, I expect it wasn't here...). Don't say it, we already know: there's a budget for that. And we know where a nice chunk of that ends up. The BTS is aging; expect more of this. TIT.

Please present facts as to where the maintenance money goes. The BTS is aging and so is everyone else. I use to walk pretty fast, but now I take the BTS.

[CoreanoOzzie]

German engineering.

Thai maintenance.

And yet the Germans have trains colliding head-on with each other. You should see the train system in Sydney, it is shocking and there are delays all the time. 1 major disruption here and the serial whiners are out in force. What's new though?

Edited February 24, 2016 by CoreanoOzzie

[CoreanoOzzie]

Ah the BTS. Incompetent and innefficient

Thats an unprofessional comment

BTS is very reliable

Many here dont like anything thai-its a wonder why they live here.

Because they're a bunch of failures in their home countries and had to resort to a developing nation to survive. Losers

[Jonmarleesco]

Make alternative travel arrangements? I wonder what BTS management had in mind, hours after the problem became known. Desperate to hang onto travellers, notice of the issue was not particularly prominent at stations. I paid the BTS for the privilege of accessing the Thonglor platform for Phrom Phong, but after ten minutes, with no train evident in the distance and an ever growing queue, then elected to walk.

[Jonmarleesco]

Ah the BTS. Incompetent and innefficient

Thats an unprofessional comment

BTS is very reliable

Many here dont like anything thai-its a wonder why they live here.

Because they're a bunch of failures in their home countries and had to resort to a developing nation to survive. Losers

Do you include yourself in that vacuous observation? Or are you of the local variety?

[TheKnave]

As usual, the late-coming pissants whine about stuff they take for granted. Anyone here before the BTS would count the number of major service interruptions on his/her digits, over the past 18 years...

But, hey, you can always go back to tuk-tuk and taxis, which are TOTALLY reliable...

[swerver]

When you consider how long the BTS has been in operation there really have been very few service disruptions over the years....the MRT is equally reliable. Both , however , should invest in additional cars for the trains to handle the additional volume. The MRT is still operating the same 3 car trains that began service in 2004

No it is NOT operating the three (3) car system. They contrary to design because this is Thailand were people know everything better than the designer(s) of equipment, the Thais added a fourth car to the 3-car system and to add insult to injury the fourth car was of Siemens China design, not Siemens Germany design. The moment they did that problems started on the Silom line which started to operate with 3-German designed cars and 1-China designed car. The problem wasn't the cars, the problem was the electronic equipment not being compatible. It was straightened out over time. The other line ran/runs okay because the complete train is Siemens China design. Siemens warned the Thais that this problem could occur when they were mixing design origin, but the Thais know better, as already mentioned above.

The Siemens German original design is one motor car on each end with a trailing car in-between. Then as time moved on and more people started getting used to and using the sky train another 3-car train would be coupled with the other train making for a six (6) car train. Consequently the platforms are designed to accommodate a six (6) car train. Now with a four(4) car train, you CANNOT couple another train because you will have an eight (8) car train making two (2) cars not lining up with the platform.

This 4-car train in time will cause serious problems when continuous loaded to capacity and more because the TRAILING cars have NO electric motors and have NO brakes. The 2-motor cars are designed to accommodate one (1) trailing car NOT two (2) trailing cars, but as said already Thais know everything better than the designers.

As BKK Post Bernard for so many years would say, "TIT".

I'm very familiar with this system, when going to Technical college I travelled on a system like this, starting from Utrecht it was a two train unit, in Gouda it was uncoupled, one unit went on to Rotterdam and the other unit went on to s'Gravenhagen. On their way back the two units coupled again at Gouda and continued on to Utrecht as a two unit train. But that was in the Western world "were everybody is stupid" and follows designed instructions.

LOL in LOS.

Edited February 24, 2016 by swerver

[MaxLee]

When you consider how long the BTS has been in operation there really have been very few service disruptions over the years....the MRT is equally reliable. Both , however , should invest in additional cars for the trains to handle the additional volume. The MRT is still operating the same 3 car trains that began service in 2004

No it is NOT operating the three (3) car system. They contrary to design because this is Thailand were people know everything better than the designer(s) of equipment, the Thais added a fourth car to the 3-car system and to add insult to injury the fourth car was of Siemens China design, not Siemens Germany design. The moment they did that problems started on the Silom line which started to operate with 3-German designed cars and 1-China designed car. The problem wasn't the cars, the problem was the electronic equipment not being compatible. It was straightened out over time. The other line ran/runs okay because the complete train is Siemens China design. Siemens warned the Thais that this problem could occur when they were mixing design origin, but the Thais know better, as already mentioned above.

The Siemens German original design is one motor car on each end with a trailing car in-between. Then as time moved on and more people started getting used to and using the sky train another 3-car train would be coupled with the other train making for a six (6) car train. Consequently the platforms are designed to accommodate a six (6) car train. Now with a four(4) car train, you CANNOT couple another train because you will have an eight (8) car train making two (2) cars not lining up with the platform.

This 4-car train in time will cause serious problems when continuous loaded to capacity and more because the TRAILING cars have NO electric motors and have NO brakes. The 2-motor cars are designed to accommodate one (1) trailing car NOT two (2) trailing cars, but as said already Thais know everything better than the designers.

As BKK Post Bernard for so many years would say, "TIT".

I'm very familiar with this system, when going to Technical college I travelled on a system like this, starting from Utrecht it was a two train unit, in Gouda it was uncoupled, one unit went on to Rotterdam and the other unit went on to s'Gravenhagen. On their way back the two units coupled again at Gouda and continued on to Utrecht as a two unit train. But that was in the Western world "were everybody is stupid" and follows designed instructions.

LOL in LOS.

You seem to be an expert..

[timendres]

Ah the BTS. Incompetent and innefficient

Ah, kingalfred, so negative and inaccurate. This must be the 2nd or 3rd technical fault in perhaps 15 years of operation and the first one that hasn't been rectified fairly quickly.

incompetent and inefficient covers all aspects not just this breakdown. I.e The system of ticketing,the dealing with volumes of passengers etc. So Think again, or just think!

You are always free to hop in a taxi and sit in traffic, climb on the back of a motocy, or enjoy a lovely tuktuk ride.

Yes, it would be nice to have a combined BTS / MRT money card, additional capacity, new stations, etc. But I love both of these operations and have been personally inconvenienced never. I would also point out the clean, well maintained stations and cars, as compared to the same back in New York. I cannot imagine Bangkok without them.

[berybert]

I've been riding the BTS pretty much daily for more than 10 years and excepting the social disruptions in 2006 & 2010, can count on one hand the number of major disruptions I've had to cope with.

There isn't a major metro transit system on the planet that doesn't have "overcrowding" issues during peak hours. Urban transit systems are like highways in that the more capacity you add, the more users you attract. There seems no way around that fact.

The BTS does deserve criticism for it's poor platform and crowd handling policies and lack of handicap access. I've always feared that there will someday be a disaster on the always overcrowded Siam escalator going down from the trains.

I think it's actually pretty remarkable that I can arrive on the BTS platform just as a train pulls out and know that 99% of the time, the next train will be along in six minutes.

agree. the london underground is horrendous at rush hour and often has train and signal failures. the difference is the staff know how to communicate effectively with each other and with passengers, and manage the number of passengers allowed into the station or onto platforms to ensure safety.

the lack of access for the disabled on the BTS is criminal.

When the London underground breaks down there will be an announcement in English and no other language.

When the BTS breaks down there is an announcement in Thai and sometimes they will add an English language announcement too.

The London system is great. The Thai system isn't.

Having trouble trying to understand your argument, but hey ho.

[F4UCorsair]

Many cities in the world would give anything to have a mass transport system even half as good as the Bangkok skytrain.

[Estrada]

German engineering.

Thai maintenance.

and Chinese Trains.

You can count the number of problems that have occurred since 1999 on one hand. Of those, most have been related to the wireless control system provided by a Canadian Company, the last one was related to the installation of platform gates.

[Estrada]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

That’s right; people here don't remember the terrible chaos pre Dec 1999. Yes, it was far worse than today (I once spent 8 hrs driving from Silom to Don Muang) and how lucky they are to have had the Skytrain built in the first place. There was terrible opposition from those who did not want the great unwashed looking into their posh schools, or even worse stopping and letting their little darlings mingle with the hoi pollie.

Nor do they remember the small numbers of passengers for quite a few years that never made the BTS a viable commercial proposition. Successive Governments did not want to put money into railways and only You Know Who made the Underground possible.

The BTS may not be anywhere near as good as it could have been, but it has not done to badly for 16 years and more lines being added will help the overall situation in Bangkok.

However, the ticketing situation has been a travesty. BTS started off with gates and TVM's using magnetic tickets that were exactly as used in Singapore in the 80’s but has failed to keep up with the times and although it has smart cards now, it has not made any real effort to do what needs to be done to provide real through ticketing to the underground. This situation will persist with the Green/Purple Lines, etc. until the Government actually makes it worthwhile for the BTS to change. It’s a concession and needs to make money like any commercial enterprise.

The Government should have sorted this out long ago and the new proposed Central Clearing House will not help with the single ticket situation. Given the 20 Million visitors a year to KT it is ridiculous not to put a very small amount of money into through ticketing.

As for reliability, both the BTS and the Underground have been very reliable on a train kilometerage basis (both the Siemens and the Chinese stock) and the staff (99.999% Thai) have been very professional and have done a fantastic job.

Certainly they need to get more 4 car trains, but unless the government show willing it takes time.

Look at the fantastic job that has been done in Seoul or Shanghai with numerous lines built at Government expense and what a difference they have made to the economies. We are cursed with a Government that wants to spend money on tanks and submarines and the like when they don’t have a real justification any more. Now they want to spend on an extensive HS train network that is not required yet, just to look good and get their mitts on Chinese money. Let’s have some reasonable speed trains that don’t fall off the crumbling lines every day, let’s have dual tracks, not expensive HS trains that will not be able to run at full capacity for another 50 years.

If you want to know about breakdowns, try standing in the snow waiting for a BR train that will not come until tomorrow, or next week if the wrong snow is on the line; or for the TFL drivers to come off strike. Breakdowns are an everyday occurrence on every railway network, even in Japan.

Fortunately for Bangkokians extended breakdowns have been very rare on the BTS and accidents very, very few.

Count your blessings whilst sweating in the queues.

The though ticketing system will be in place by August. The delay is due to the Government and their related transport agencies. BTS has submitted a proposal to purchase more 4 car trains last week. This was originally envisaged for 2017 but passenger numbers are now above 733,000 on weekdays, so that purchase has been brought forward.

[Kru Baa]

I always assumed that someone else was running this for them, otherwise how else would it run at all? Maybe they were and finally handed over the reigns, hence all the problems now.

[Estrada]

If they can not fix it tonight it will be a mess tomorrow.

Maybe its been set up becoz the government would like to get there hands on BTS. just like they have on MRT.

I have not see BMCL in this kind of trouble, its always BTS. Just a gues oke.

I don't know nothing.

Just feel sorry for all those people in line there. Good business for the taxi's thou...

Now the police need all they got to supervise the taxi bikes, car and buses not to over price their ride cause of BTS failure.

Oh.. they already did overprice it, just get a call from a friend, the ride on the bike what costs normal 80,-thb. was now 200,-thb.

so he made a cool selfie with driver and licence plate number for declaration ha ha. just a other day in Bangkok.

Sorry, the BMCL managed to crash an empty train into a peak hour train at 60km/h injuring 140 passengers in 2005 which caused a shut down of the MRT Blue line.

[quandow]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

I don't live in Bangkok, but travel often enough. I've found the BTS to be one of the few really well run services in all of Thailand.

[RHCP]

I recall during the practice runs back in 1999 that they tested 3 car trains coupled together which I witnessed in the Siam area so they obviously were considering this and presumably the stations can accommodate 6 car trains. But management for whatever reason (financial?) decided not to provide this during rush hours and alleviate the overcrowding.

[F4UCorsair]

Well, for what it's worth, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence; the BTS is generally very reliable transportation. If you can remember back pre Dec 1999, a trip from Klongtoey to Childom (home and work) could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stuff breaks and it seems like the folks at BTS are on top of it,

I don't live in Bangkok, but travel often enough. I've found the BTS to be one of the few really well run services in all of Thailand.

I no longer live in Bangkok Quandow, but do spend a lot of time there each year, and I find it a great service also.

I occasionally think back to the days pre 1999, and 2 hours from Don Mueang to Sukhumvi in a taxi wasn't unusual. Of course the elevated freeway changed that, but an option would/could be bus or taxi to Mo Chit, and BTS from there, and the journey could be as little as 20 minutes??

Londoners complain incessantly about the tube, and it is very crowded at peak hour, but it's a great transport system, just as the BTS and MRT are in Bangkok. It's inevitable that with things mechanical and electronic, that there will be an issue form time to time, but from my observation,they are few and far between.

[alfredthegreat]

Compared to the delays that occur along with strikes on the London underground that I put up with for 30 years of my working life,

I don't think the BTS is as bad as some state. I witnessed the opening of it on the King's birthday in 1999. And I think I can count on

my fingers the number of times the BTS has broken down. Yes the BTS is now very over crowded, but works well generally.

As for transport in Bangkok, taxis 24/7, cheap bus fares, it's the best as far as I am concerned.

[Thian]

I just hope they replace ALL the switchboards now, don't wait for the next one to fail.

I bought a rabbit-card for the bts and i have to say it works PERFECT! Costs 50 baht and i never have to be in qeueu anymore!

[mercman24]

usual thai knockers on here,i use the BTS every day, no complaints from me,and it would only take about ten minutes for a large queue to form on the platforms.at rush hour. i never did understand why they dont add more carriages though, perhaps someone can answer this,is it to do with "turnaround facility." ?

[venttwit]

Really? Tell me more about it!

[brewsterbudgen]

Make alternative travel arrangements? I wonder what BTS management had in mind, hours after the problem became known. Desperate to hang onto travellers, notice of the issue was not particularly prominent at stations. I paid the BTS for the privilege of accessing the Thonglor platform for Phrom Phong, but after ten minutes, with no train evident in the distance and an ever growing queue, then elected to walk.

You could have got a refund at the station although the large numbers of people would have made it a lengthy process.

[gk10002000]

I recall a year or two ago the kilometers of grounding cabling that was stolen. I can only wonder what else is missing or damaged.

[exalll]

Make alternative travel arrangements? I wonder what BTS management had in mind, hours after the problem became known. Desperate to hang onto travellers, notice of the issue was not particularly prominent at stations. I paid the BTS for the privilege of accessing the Thonglor platform for Phrom Phong, but after ten minutes, with no train evident in the distance and an ever growing queue, then elected to walk.

You could have got a refund at the station although the large numbers of people would have made it a lengthy process.

Not a lengthy process. Twice yesterday I entered a station and then decided to walk/take alternative transport when I saw the queues. Both times it took less than a minute to get by card re-credited