New, Modernised Train Carriages Come to Chiang Mai

[webfact]

New, Modernised Train Carriages Come to Chiang Mai
by CityNews



CityNews – Starting in August, the State Railway of Thailand will begin to use a fleet of Chinese built modern train carriages offering a modernised train journey along both Bangkok – Chiang Mai and Bangkok – Ubon Ratchathani routes.

Train station

The new fleet of 39 carriages are fitted with wider beds, seat-mounted screens and aircraft style vacuum toilets. They will also be wheelchair friendly and will be fitted with CCTV.

There will also be no increase of ticket cost for seats on the new carriages.

Full story: http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/new-modernised-train-carriages-come-chiang-mai/


-- Chiang City News 2016-07-18

[Thechook]

Doesn't look very modern

[cnx355]

The rack to hold luggage near the seats are gone....The old 2nd class sleeper had them. Now passengers will have to walk between the backpack and luggage in the alley..

Yes ,,,,,they seem to have straps on the ceiling for small bags ,,,,no more...

The car may be new but they use the same old design....

[alant]

Is this the final solution? What is to happen to the proposed standard gauge twin track system?

I see a face saving fudge on the horizon.

[Bob12345]

Is this the final solution? What is to happen to the proposed standard gauge twin track system?

I see a face saving fudge on the horizon.

No, no, no, I think you misunderstood.

They were talking about modernizing the railways, and did not specifically mention the standard gauge twin track system.

(and whoever you can quote on mentioning it was wrong, or i mean, the one writing it down had it wrong).

So now that the railways have been modernized the job has been done and everybody is happy happy.

Well done, time to receive some bonuses at the end of the year I would say.

[watcharacters]

Doesn't look very modern

Well it's recycled from China but it's new and modern for Thailand.

[colinneil]

S.R.T. are trying if only a lttle bit, so why ar posters knocking their efforts???

[hansnl]

Doesn't look very modern

Well it's recycled from China but it's new and modern for Thailand.

Although I am not a fan of Chinese made rolling stock, be it locomotives or carriages, I must confess lately the products made by CNR are not bad at all.

The quality of the new carriages and locomotives delivered to Thailand are on par of material delivered, for example, to New Zealand.

The design of inside of the carriages is based on existing carriages used in Thailand an many other countries, and exactly customers are used to.

Cleaning and maintenance are the problem.

If not done right, the new carriages will be ripe for refit within a couple of years.

The "high-speed" dreams should be put on the back burner for quite a few years.

If track renewal goes on like it is now, the top- and average speed of the one metre lines will go up to the top-speed mentioned for the new tactical chinese built and owned standard gauge railway lines, 160 km/h.

If double tracking is finished, the rails upgraded to heavier and faster use, who needs new, expensive "high speed" lines?

The renewed SRT metre network is enough, for the next year's.

[johncat1]

Why show the old train ? Bangkok Post published some nice photos of the new rolling stock and the railways saff in their bright red " Thunderbirds / Captain Scarlet " uniforms.

The new trains look very smart but knowing Thais lack of maintenance they will not stay that way for long.

[Bangkok Barry]

The carriages have thin plastic seating, like East European trains 30-40 years ago. Thailand still trying, and failing, to catch up with the modern world. Like the 200 kpm high speed trains they want, when Europe has had 300 kph trains for many years.

[hansnl]

The carriages have thin plastic seating, like East European trains 30-40 years ago. Thailand still trying, and failing, to catch up with the modern world. Like the 200 kpm high speed trains they want, when Europe has had 300 kph trains for many years.

The "plastic" cover of 2nd class seats have probably been chosen for ease of cleaning.

In Europe the top speeds of the railways has gone up gradually from 80 km/h till 160km/h.

Then came the high speed lines with speeds up to 300 km/h

The step from 80 to 130, the speed most non HSL lines operate in Europe, is now made in Thailand.

If it means to build HSL lines in your country bult, owned and operated by another country, think again if that is advisable.

Guess Thailand makes the right decision.

Upgrade the existing lines into double track, upgrade the tracks itself with concrete sleepers, install heavy gauge rails, raise the maximum and average speed to higher levels, raise the numbers of trains, and get experience in running trains with better quality.

And that is exactly what SRT wants to do.

And most of all, forget the premature building of high speed rail, for the time being.

Do remember, most HSL lines in Europe are not profitable on their own.

The profit comes from some profitable lines and the feeding from old style rail lines, operating at lower and middle speeds.

It remains to be seen if HSL lines in Thailand will ever be profitable, for Thailand that is.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Doesn't look very modern

That's because it's an old locomotive and not a train of new carriages.......

[worgeordie]

Will they be fitted with training wheels to stop them

falling off the tracks.

regards worgeordie

[hansnl]

Will they be fitted with training wheels to stop them

falling off the tracks.

regards worgeordie

Hilarious indeed.

For your information, most if not all, derailments in the last five years have to do with "old" rails, wooden sleepers, road traffic (cars & trucks) and maintenance/renewal.

Check, if you are British, about rail trouble in the UK........(The Great British Rail Disaster)

Or Germany or France or China or Japan.

Edited July 19, 2016 by hansnl