transpac

The first of the new rolling stock from Siemens (Turkey) have arrived. I guess these will be used on the Sukhumvit extension from Bearing to Kheha, maybe opening in December of this year.

NEW BTS TRAINS COMING TO EXTENDED ROUTE

BANGKOK — The BTS system may soon get slightly less crowded as dozens of new trains with more capacity set to enter service later this year.

BTS Skytrain executives on Monday officially unveiled the first of 46 new trains in Chonburi province, purchased for 11 billion baht to support the Sukhumvit line and its extension to Samut Prakan province, which will open in December. The train, comprising four carriages, was delivered Sunday.

New BTS Trains Coming to Extended Route

Yappofloyd

Yes, it refers to the civil works. However, installation of the signals and electrics is well advanced too.

The main delay here is not so much the new Bang Sue Intercity Terminal (part of the same Dark red line tender) where the line will initially terminate, but the fact that the SRT placed the rolling stock order with the Japanese so late (mid 2012) after a 2 year delay. The actual trains won't be delivered until early 2020, and then there will be a long testing period. The 10km north extension to Thammasat Uni will be next to be tendered by the end of the year.

The line was originally due to open in 2016! The Dark Red commuter line will eventually be 87kms long when completed......

Yappofloyd

A pedestrian link is gradually being built to connect with the southern end of T2, so not too bad if taking a domestic flight, but yes a long walk if going to the northern counters of T1 for na international flight. The station has 4 levels with 2 platform levels.

It is worth remembering that another station will be built at DMK (along with a completely new viaduct running alongside the current one) for the Eastern, North and NE HSR lines. Whoever wins Eastern HSR line to U-Tapao tender (which is currently out) will also take over the running the existing ARL line. The remaining NE HSR line contracts are due to be tendered by the end of 2018 - 2 have already been awarded.

transpac

Rainy season is here...still a fair amount of service "issues" on the skytrain (platform doors, signaling system resulting in delays, massive crowds), but not nearly as bad as June/July.

Indoor Waterfall: Possibly the worst leak yet on a BTS train (VIDEO)

Passengers on a busy Bangkok skytrain yesterday had to huddle together to stay dry when a carriage roof began leaking — once again. Witnesses (and certain Coconuts editors) speculated that the indoor downpour may have been the heaviest one yet.

On Facebook, meanwhile, scorn was raining on the BTS courtesy of outraged netizens who had seen an uploaded video of the waterfall-like leakage, which, while not time-stamped, appeared likely to have taken place amid the heavy rainfall that hit Bangkok yesterday.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/ind...s-train-video/

Yappofloyd

I usually avoid Coconuts for news as they just poorly summarise other news sites reports. The BKK post article dated the same day (23 Aug) on this minor incident is much more informative,
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tra...engers-hackles

Yappofloyd

Just a reminder that the 8 station, 11.4km BTS extension from Samrong to Kheha Samut Prakan will open in December..... supposedly by mid Dec though they really wanted to aim for 5 Dec.

The BMA having been dumped with the extension by the MRTA (who built it) - and even though the extension is not within Bangkok province - have announced that there will be a free travel period of around 3 months into 2019 for the extension. (This has been their normal practice with every other extension opening period)

There are not currently enough new rolling stock to run the service but the BTSC has an interim solution by slightly rearranging headway times. By 2nd quarter next year, it should be fine. (This is also when the 1st section (1 station) of the northern extension is due to open)

glennaa11

so BTS will be even more crowded? How many new trains are they adding?

transpac

Posted again...

New BTS Trains Coming to Extended Route

BTS Skytrain executives on Monday officially unveiled the first of 46 new trains in Chonburi province, purchased for 11 billion baht to support the Sukhumvit line and its extension to Samut Prakan province, which will open in December. The train, comprising four carriages, was delivered Sunday.

Company representatives said the new trains’ carriages, bought from German and Chinese companies, have a 10 percent greater capacity than current ones. All new trains will be delivered by late 2019.

The popular city rail network currently serves about 900,000 daily commuters. Surapong Laoha-Unya, the company’s director, said in 2017 that 52 trains were in service along both lines. Its official website says each train accommodates up to 1,490 passengers.


Seems like two orders: twenty-two four-car trains from Siemens and twenty-four four-car trains from China. Believe the former are due by the end of 2019; some have been delivered, not sure about the latter? The Sukhumvit line extension from Bearing to Kheha/Samut Prakan is scheduled to open in December 2018. Not sure about the northern extension from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai, and Saphan Mai to Khu Kot, assume the latter order might be to accommodate that expansion?

Assume they'll start removing seats like they've done to the MRT? Once the Samut Prakan extension opens I'd expect there to be issues, both operational and capacity.

The BTS still seems to be suffering from daily operational issues, power, signaling, break-downs have all been mentioned in the tweets I've seen over the past few weeks. The BTS has gotten better about using Twitter to provide accurate, timely information. They also added a LINE group. I definitely feel for the folks who have to commute daily. Saw some horrible photos last night from Asoke BTS, just massive crowds.

LIH Prem

Curious about that interim solution of slightly rearranging headways. How does that provide more capacity at peak times?

Aren't the current trains already 4-car trains?

Are some of the trains going to stop at the current endpoint?

-David

Dr. HFH

I think not all of them.

LIH Prem

We're talking about the Sukhumvit line here, to be specific. (with the extension beyond Samrong set to open in December).

I don't recall seeing different length trains on the Sukhumvit lines and I wonder if the gates at the platforms are able to adapt to different length trains. Of course, I could be wrong.

-David

transpac

I am under the impression that all of the current BTS trains are 4-car trains.

Intervals are published on each platform, my vaguest recollection is that they range from 3 minutes (, maybe 2:30? peak) to 6 minutes (shoulder), up to 10 minutes (off-peak).

Obviously the more frequent the trains the higher the capacity, as measured in passengers per hour. During non-peak times trains are parked at the spurs/terminuses.

Some BTS trains do not go to the last station, they usually make an announcement, maybe Bearing instead of Samrong, on the southern Sukhumvit line. (The subway does a similar thing, there are signs with details in each station and on each platform.)

There are only platform doors at certain stations, not all. I think all/most platforms can handle six-car lengths; not sure the stations can. Asoke station gets clogged due to poor layouts, with ticket/change/machine lines blocking access, and silly tickets which require 4 tries to work (this issue slightly addressed with new single-ride cards which are touch on entry) but still totally unintuitive. One side should be green with a massive white arrow, the other red with a giant "X".

Pat.2000

Took a few photos of Lat Phrao Intersection recently and the layout is slightly different. Island platform I know but will there be three lines with the middle one terminating? Construction progress at the moment makes it look that way, I could be wrong as it was 3 weeks ago.

Would be useful to see a layout diagram

transpac

Are you asking about the (northern) Green Line extension from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai, and then on to Khu Khot?

Or the Yellow Line which will traverse what I would call Lat Phrao intersection, from Samrong?

Or the Tha Phra intersection, in Bangkok Yai? Where the blue line subway extension from Hua Lumphong, and city loop come together?

transpac

Free rides on BTS Samut Prakan section extended

The 13km extension of the BTS elevated rail route linking southern Bangkok with Samut Prakan will open next month and commuters will be allowed free trips for four months, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday.

Gen Prayut said the free fare period on the newly built extension linking Samrong station to Samut Prakan had previously been set for three months.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning...ction-extended