Mass Transit News - 2006-2008 (post-coup)

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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)

Mass transit banner - April 2, 2008
It reads: Unveil Skytrain problems that Bangkokians must know. Bangkok should have have a 100-kilometer Skytrain already. What are the problems that slow the project? Solve the problems. Accelerate the Skytrain project. “Hopewell” is no longer “Hopeless” but “New Hope.” In a short time… Skytrain will reach your home.
The man is Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr. Samart Rajapolsit responsible for manual labor, public works and traffic.

Politics threatens to derail transit - Party dissolution case hangs heavy on plans - Bangkok Post, March 25, 2008
...Transport Minister Santi Prompat said the hot issue of whether the People Power Party would be dissolved for election fraud had worried both the government and civil servants responsible for getting the big-ticket projects off the ground...

Thai-made trains on MRTA list - Foreign firms may need local factories - Bangkok Post, March 26, 2008
...MRTA governor Prapat Chongsanguan plans to propose to the government that foreign train manufacturers bidding for the mass-transit megaprojects establish domestic production plants to help produce the more than 900 train carriages estimated to be required for the new routes...

Megaprojects headlines
It has been a couple years since we have had any tale of two newspapers candidates, but the new government and the imminent return of Thaksin seems to have charged up The Nation again...

Samak highlights his pipe dream on megaprojects - The Nation, February 22, 2008

Samak says he will personally supervise five megaprojects - Bangkok Post, February 25, 2008
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej says he intends to supervise five megaprojects, including a controversial plan to divert water from the Mekong river to feed the water-starved Northeast. Mr Samak said yesterday he would be in charge of the projects _ mass transit schemes for Bangkok, train projects across the country, the water diversion scheme, a project to stimulate the economy and a medical scheme...
The end of the road - Bangkok Post, March 6, 2008
...The three projects which would go ahead are the enlargement and improvement of a road between Pracha Nukul school and Soi Watcharapol road in Sai Mai district, Soi Gluay Mai road in Lat Phrao district, and Soi Rarm Intra 39 road in Bang Khen. "The three are the most possible options even though some areas are already fully settled," he said.
...He said the BMA would try to redesign the remaining 22 projects to see if any could be pursued with less impact on surrounding communities.
The 22 projects include new roads from Siam Park to the Outer Ring Road; from Sena Niwes village to Soi Satriwithaya 2 road; from Soi Chuenchulak road to Pongsaphuwadol kindergarten; and from Soi Onnuj 30 road to Soi Sukhumvit 101 road.
Others are in Soi Phuyai Erb road; Soi Onnuj 70 road; the road in the Classic Villa housing estate; Soi Ramkhamhaeng 21 road; Soi Lat Phrao 48 road; Soi Chaeng Wattana 14 road; Soi Lat Phrao 94 road and Ekamai-Rarm Intra road.
Also among the 22 projects facing the axe are roads in Sammakorn housing estate and Krungthep Kreetha road; Bunthaworn Plaina and Plaina road; Intamara 4, 8, 10, and 12 roads; Ramkhamhaeng 21 and Soi Ramkhamhaeng 24 roads; Soi Sukhumvit 71 road and Soi Suan Luang road.
Still others which could be abandoned are in Soi Udomsuk 42 road and Yuthasin 1 road; Soi Sukhumvit 64/1, 66, and 66/1 roads; and Soi Kraisorn Housing Estate road and Soi Cement Thai road...

Bids for 3 train routes to be called this year - Bangkok Post, February 26, 2008
...Transport Minister Santi Prompat said the three routes will be the Purple Line running from Bang Sue to Bang Yai in Nonthaburi, the Red Line from Bang Sue to Taling Chan and the Red Line from Bang Sue to Rangsit...



Above: Chitlada Station

Red Line details - translated and summarized by Wisarut, December 17, 2007

Red line commuter at Bangsue - Makkasan - Hua Lamphong - Cosmopolitan Weekly Newspaper, December 14-20, 2007
1. Investment 25.137 billion baht -
1.1 14.96150 billion baht for civil works,
1.2 1.738 billion baht for electrification and mechanic
1.3 EMU rolling stock 4.980 billion baht
1.4 1.084 billion baht for reservation
2. economic benefit of 4.5 trillion baht ->
2.1 fuel saving 1.7 trillion baht ,
2.2 time saving of 1.5 trillion baht, and
2.3 environment improvement of 1.06 trillion baht
2.4 0.126 trillion baht saving from traffic jam reduction  
 
Red Line criticism - Than Setthakij, December 16-19, 2007
Than Setthakij has given a criticism toward Red Line commuter that the terminal at the Old Makkasan station (km 5.10)  is still 500 meters from the City Ari Terminal at New Makkasan station (Phetburi Stop) at km 5.60. 
Furthermore, the delay of Bangsue-Rangsit Red Line commuter along with the New Bangsue terminal due to 4 extra stations will leave the Red Line commuter (Bagsue-Talingchan) stranded.
This will compelled the government to construct Bangsue terminal first of all to ensure better connection.
JBIC has sent a signal that they are going to approve the loan as the 100% backup for the Red Line commuter project--30 year period with 7 year grace period at 1.4% annual rate (higher than previous loans, but still cheap).

Below: Map for Bangsue - Makkasan - Hua Lamphong 

SRT Red Line draft designs - Skyscrapercity.com, September 28, 2007

Purple line metro gets the green light - The Nation, September 15, 2007
Government to invest in project to speed up implementation; Cabinet approval to be sought within a month...

A new monorail for Thailand! - September 12, 2007
Photo from The Nation: Tourists stand under a German-made monorail in Chiang Mai zoo on Tuesday. The monorail that will be open for public in November this year for of Bt40 per route is used in the zoo to alleviate pollution.
State railway to decide Airport Rail Link project's future tomorrow - Bangkok Post, September 9, 2007
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will decide tomorrow how it should continue with the trouble-plagued Airport Rail Link (ARL) project. SRT deputy governor Nakhon Chantarasorn said the project's contractor, the Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction company, has been given 370 more days to finish the project from its original deadline of Nov 5...

Matchima pledges new train network - Flat price of 15 baht offered to woo voters - Bangkok Post, September 10, 2007
...Matchima leader Somsak Thepsuthin said if his group registers as a political party and has the opportunity to be part of the next government, he would push for a new electric train network with a flat ticket price of only 15 baht for an entire journey for the first 15 years. The price could be increased after that.
A total of 10 rail routes with a combined length of 333 kilometres would be constructed linking Bangkok to surrounding provinces, Mr Somsak said. Construction would take about six years and cost about 500 billion baht...

This sounds suspiciously like Samak's ring road plan from when he was Bangkok Governor.

More Skytrain delays: City firm on opening new skytrain route - Council of State ruling could delay project - Bangkok Post, April 21, 2007
The city administration is determined to go ahead with its plan to open an extended 2.2km skytrain route to Thon Buri even though the project may be ruled by the Council of State as a joint public-private investment. In principle, that ruling would delay the opening of the extended route for at least another year as there is a long process to go through...
Construction of the extended route, which runs from Taksin bridge to the Taksin intersection is now almost 100% complete...

Bombardier wins skytrain contract - Bangkok Post, March 14, 2007
Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), the skytrain operator, has signed a US$40 million contract with Canada-based Bombardier Transportation to replace an existing signalling system operated by German-based Siemens, the train supplier. According to Surapong Laoha-Unya, chief operating officer of BTSC, the new system applies radio-based train-control technology and open software, which will provide more efficiency and better facilitate network expansion...
All five transit routes in capital to go ahead - Bangkok Post, March 13, 2007
The Finance and Transport ministries yesterday ended the confusion over the future of the city's mass transit lines with a promise to push ahead with all projects that the government had already approved...
Last Friday, the new finance minister said the implementation should be first capped at two lines given the short tenure of the interim government. However, he said yesterday he would try to start all the five routes though he knew that would be difficult. He would try to keep the projects from affecting the country's financial status...
New question mark over mass-transit routes - The Nation, March 3, 2007
While MR Pridiyathorn Devakula's resignation as deputy PM and finance minister is not expected to disrupt Thailand's investment in five electric-train routes, there is uncertainty about whether the road show planned for Japan by the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) will proceed this month...
Chiang Mai seeks budget for mass transit system - The Nation, February 13, 2007
[Note the humorous error stating "310 years."]
...The first phase of the operation will take 310 years after which the routes will be expanded to offer wider access to residents.
Champa is a tourist guide who developed a romantic relation with a Thai boyfriend. The pace of their relation was quick to hold on to her catch.
"It's misleading that Lao woman is such an easy woman," he added...
MASS-TRANSIT EXPANSION: BMCL is off to a flyer - The Nation, February 7, 2007
Subway operator in talks to buy 20 carriages as Cabinet backs new routes...
'Smart' traffic projects put under review - Bangkok Post, January 23, 2007
...The smart traffic sign project has been awarded to Genius Traffic System Co, which has spent about 300 million baht building 40 hi-tech traffic signs in Bangkok.
SFrame Co has been granted a concession to build 150 taxi stands.
The source said the smart bus stop project has been beset with problems as Centisoft Co, the project's operator, has had trouble coordinating with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), which plans to reorganise its bus routes...
Mega-projects back on track - The Nation, January, 2007
...After reviewing the country's mega-infrastructure projects, the Surayud Chulanont government has greenlit the four mass transit system lines project, water management and a logistics system development plan...
Ministry asks JBIC to fund 3 subway routes - Bangkok Post, December 20, 2006
The three new lines to be financed by JBIC loans are: the 23-kilometre, 29.16- billion-baht Purple Line running from Bang Yai to Bang Sue; the 27-km, 52.58- billion-baht Blue Line running from Bang Sue to Hua Lamphong via Tha Pra and Bang Khae; and the 41-km, 53.9-billion-baht Red Line, running from Rangsit to Bang Sue to Taling Chan...
Subway lines to get push - Bangkok Post, December 18, 2006
The Transport Ministry has vowed to hasten subway construction projects on the Purple and Blue Lines in the hope of catering to Bangkok commuters by 2011 and 2013. Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen said bidding would open by the third quarter of next year for private companies to build the 23km Purple Line (Bang Yai-Bang Sue) and the 27km Blue Line (Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae and Bang Sue-Tha Phra). Construction was likely to begin by 2008...
Airport Rail Link delayed 4 months - The Nation, December 8, 2006
The Airport Rail Link project to connect Suvarnabhumi Airport with central Bangkok, will be delayed four months, with completion now scheduled for April 2008, Siwa Saengmanee, chairman of the State Railway of Thailand, said yesterday.
He said this was because construction had been delayed by 20 per cent as a result of a change in the blueprint, delays in handling land plots and problems with contractors' cash flow.
Mass transit project on the rails again - Bangkok Post, November 15, 2006
October for mass-transit relaunch - Bangkok Post, November 11, 2006
Cabinet approves five Bangkok rail lines - The Nation, November 7, 2006
The cabinet today approved a master plan to construct five new mass transit lines in Bangkok, one underground and four Skytrain-type lines.
Ministers instructed the Ministry of Transport to draft a detailed plan for the project, which calls for extending five rail lines in the capital -- known as purple, red, blue, light green and dark green.
The Purple line, which is to run from Bang Yai to Bang Sue, and the Red line from Rangsit to Makkasan via Bang Sue will come first.
Later, construction will take place on the Blue line from Hua Lamphong to Tha Phra and Bang Sue to Bang Khae, the Light Green line from National Stadium to Prannok, and from On Nut to Samut Prakan, and the Dark Green line from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai, and from Taksin to Bangwa...
Review of new subway routes - Bangkok Post, October 11, 2006
...The Thaksin government approved the construction of the three new rail links with an estimated budget of more than 25 billion baht. The subway lines are the 40km Red Line from Phya Thai to Rangsit and Chiang Rak Noi; the 23km Purple Line from Bang Yai to Bang Sue; and the Blue Line, which includes both the 14km Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae and 13km Bang Sue-Tha Phra routes.
...A ministry source said the Purple Line was most ready to be built because its land appropriation plan was completed. The Blue and Red lines still had problems to overcome.