Originally Posted by
RustyC
From a tourism perspective it'd be really nice if they could open the Chinatown stations...I've seen the holes in the ground and construction work disrupting traffic.
Much of the rest serves locals in outlying areas. We're already seeing how that adds to total volume and causes even more of a crush in the inner stations...have they planned for that? It took seemingly forever for BTS to start running trains longer than 3 cars, and the platforms are only so long and are a limitation. In other places like Singapore you see everything running at platform-length in rush hour, while in Santiago, Chile, on the busiest line they run platform length AND every 30-40 seconds in peak rush hour. How much capacity are they prepared to handle in Bangkok as they connect more suburban areas and more people have access?
On your first point, you'll actually be able to view Sanam Chai Blue Line station after Songkhran next year. It really is an impressive station, worthy of a Moscow station! see pic below
However, this 4 station part of the extension - running underground west from Hua Lumphong and under the river to Tha Phra will not open until mid 2019.
Yes, the BTS took forever to get those 5 new 4 cars sets from CNR and now the BTS is about 5-7 years behind where is should be with rolling stock length, it should be at 5 cars now not 4. Stations are built for 6 car operations.
Frequency wise, you are correct. However, no one in the world runs frequencies (head way) less then 90 seconds for safety reasons. THe Hong Kong MTR , and some of the chinese cities, basically run at 85-90 secs in peak.
It is not possible to operate safely below this frequency/head way. Remember that if you are standing at a fixed point on a platform a 90 sec head way can seem much shorter if you view the rear of the departing train and then look the other way to view the front of an arriving train seemingly 30-40 secs later. However, take in the dwell time and time it from that fixed point from when the train stops until the next train stops at the same point.
The BTS does between 2:20 to 2.40 mins head way on the Sukhumvit line in peak.
The main capacity issues relate to private concessionaires not having sufficient funds to purchase new rolling stock in order to meet growing pax levels. Just look at the BEM (BMCL) which runs the MRT. They first promised to place an order for new rolling stock in 2007. It is now 2016/2017 and they have still not ordered any new trains for the MRT Blue line!!! (But they had enough money to buy new trains for the Purple line when they won the right to operate it). Hence, the massive overcrowding during peak hour.
The private concessionaire model is Bangkok is fundamentally flawed.
Sanam Chai Blue Line station
