Yappofloyd

Yes, opened a few weeks earlier than scheduled which is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQku8Ny8--Q

SKT-DK

I must say they got that built and running pretty quickly once they finally got started - have been following this first hand driving past more or less daily, as it is my "local" BTS station now. So going by BTS just got more convenient!

transpac

General transpo news...

Minister Confirms to Close Hua Lamphong Main Station

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-631385


Why Skytrain fare hike may end up wrecking Bangkok’s mass-transit success story

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/why-sky...success-story/


Bangkok Governor orders delay of fare increase on Green Route train service

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkok...train-service/

Kalboz

Hua Lamphong Train Station is a beautiful historical building that's been around for over 100 years. I hope they'll maintain it and not tear it down for another ugly glass and steel structure!

SKT-DK

It is indeed, and I completely agree. I read on the news the other day that the SRT wants to preserve it as a museum - let's hope that happens.

kalderlake

I too hope they save it. Beautiful building.

transpac

Yeah, seen some talk about a museum. Doubt that'll hold.

This will come down to maximizing the real estate/rent for the SRT or someone else.

The building is probably about to fall down, so will require significant repairs, requiring years and hundreds of million baht.

Best guess...full refurbishment and it acts to front a huge development along the canal, maybe all the way to Rama I road (but there are a lot of SRT buldings in the way).

Or there will be an accidental fire.

Yappofloyd

It was decided way back in 2012 that Hualumphong will be maintained as a museum with engines and old SRT rolling stock. The SRT wants to develop the yards north of the station platforms with a number of large office blocks, hotels and apartments as a revenue earner. There is a render from 2014 of the concept plan which I might be able to dig up.

Also, it is important to remember that the SRT Dark Red line will be extended south from Bang Sue to Hualumphong and Wong Wian Yai and finally Mahachai (along the current Mahachai railway corridor). The line will be 87kms long when completed. Thus, technically Hualumphong will still be used as a station once the new elevated platforms are built albeit only a small section on the western side.

Yappofloyd

As expected, Cabinet on Tuesday formally approved the 2 station, 3km spur MRT Pink line into Muang Thong Thani. In future years this could be further extended north to & along Tiwanon rd

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...line-extension

kevino

Some Thais would argue that St. Louis BTS Station opened 21 years late.

SKT-DK

Indeed Must admit I was a bit surprised that the name changed to St. Louis (I know what it refers to) as I was always under the impression it would be called Sueksawitthaya after the soi (Soi 10 and 12)

Yappofloyd

Au contraire, they wouldn't. They would say that all BTS extensions opened too late which would of course be correct....

When the BTS lines first opened in Dec 1999, it wasn't planned for S4 and N6 to be built until after 10-15 year period. There just wasn't the need, nor the demand. (worth noting that some of the new lines include future station sites that won't be built until demand requires)

Now, had one of the 3 original extensions from S3 down Narithiwat rd & Rama 3 been built, and the Suk line extension north of Mo Chit opened by 2008 as first thought, then both of the stations may have been built within the first 10 years.

Yappofloyd

The Department of Railways has announced that finally the PPP tenders for the next batch of extensions to the soon to be opened SRT Dark Red and SRT Light Red lines will be out in April. The SRT planned these 2 lines back in 2005.......The Dark Red line will be 87kms when it is finally completed (sometime in 2050 at the current construction rate)

History
It is important to note that that 2 of these extensions (Dark Red to Tham Uni & south ext to Hua lumphong) were approved in 2016. Tenders were scheduled for Sept 2018 but then delayed until later in 2019. Afterwards, in July 2019 the Cabinet referred all extensions for a review with a view to do PPP tenders in early 2020 - much to the annoyance of the SRT.

Light Red eastern ext to Hua Mark
The extension of the SRT Light Red line from Bang Sue to Hua Mark along the current ARL route was always stupid as it duplicates the Cityline service and means building a whole new viaduct and adjacent stations to the ARL stations. However, the subsequent policy change to have the ARL become a part of the Eastern HSR line now means that it might now more practicable but it stills means duplication of services.

Light Red Sriraj/Thonburi Spur line
The short spur line between Taling Chan and Thonburi/Sriraj station (Kanchanaburi services depart from here) is also stupid. The original plan 10-15 years ago was for the MRT Orange line to run along this route and terminate at Taling Chan. However, the SRT objected as they didn't want to 'lose' control of the right of way so this section was swapped from Orange to Light Red. It is still unclear how the SRT plans to operate the Spur line but most likely it will be Taling Chan to Sriraj only. (long term the SRT Light Red line may be extended all the way to Nakhon Pathom and it might be every 3rd service terminates at Sriraj rather than running through to Bang Sue and onwards to Hua Mark)

The priority should be to build following first;
1) 10km ext Rangsit to Thammasat Uni - approved in 2016 and some of which is built north of Rangsit,
2) 11km Bang Sue to Hua Lumphong - approved in 2016 (requires a belowground section past the palace)
3) 15km Taling Chan to Salaya - was also to be tendered in 2018

Yappofloyd

On Wednesday the SRT confirmed that the SRT Dark Red line and SRT Light Red line will commence free trial operations from 26 March. (Only 4.5 years later than the original scheduled late 2016 opening for the Dark Red line)

Full commercial operations will commence on 28 July.

glennaa11

looks like they're making good progress