High Speed Rail: BKK to Chiang Mai Starts When?

Post by **parrot** » August 8, 2013, 8:36 pm

Speaking of railroads......has anyone recently been on the train to Bangkok? For my first 5 or 6 years here, I rode it several times a year....but it was on the downhill slide and I finally gave up on it. No accidents on my rides, but lots of delays and I got to the point where I couldn't stand to use the onboard bathrooms. Maybe things have improved?

Post by **FrazeeDK** » August 9, 2013, 7:40 am

ditto here, haven't ridden it in years but the "morning" sleeper from Bangkok regularly chugs in roughly 3 hours late every day...

Post by **Jing Jing** » August 9, 2013, 10:36 am

If they can't run the current rail effectively how in the world are they going to run a modern system? They are going to spend trillions of bhat that will only cause the national airlines to lose passen gers. Bus passengers are not going to shift to a speed rail. They can't afford the fare.

Post by **Jing Jing** » August 9, 2013, 10:43 am

This how the local property owners will use their property affected by the high speed rail.

Post by **West Ham Dave** » August 20, 2013, 6:58 am

I believe bidding is to be in by mid 2014. Some 18 projects in total including several in Bangkok. The completion dates seen optimistic to say the least. Something to consider is anything "Going High speed" will a different track gauge to the existing , 1 metre now , going to 1435mm for high speed. That would indicate that the high speed projects will not be built on the existing alignment resulting in huge civil works on what is in practice a green field site.

There is some information being given that does not make sense .When you look at one high speed route Bangkok , Pedang Basar (Thai/Malaysia Border in Songklah) thats about 1200km of works which meets at the border with 1 metre gauge Malaysian Low speed track on 5the other side that has just been installed . So you would not be able to travel from BKK to KL as you can now without changing trains at the border.

I think they are being a bit liberal with the use of the words High speed.

Double tracking works will stay at the same gauge as it is now

Post by **goodison** » August 20, 2013, 7:32 am

Welcome West Ham Dave! Seems all that British Rail Training didn't go to waste after all. Still supporting Alf Garnett's Mob then? Any train that can stay on thetracks is a good train for me. Recent Chiang Mai - Bangkok & of course the tragic Spanish derailment cases in point! I always enjoyed the trip by rail overnight from Udon- Bangkok, get there do your business that day and return on the evening chuffer. No need for high speed on that route!

Post by **pienmash** » August 20, 2013, 7:46 am

goodison wrote:Welcome West Ham Dave! Seems all that British Rail Training didn't go to waste after all. Still supporting Alf Garnett's Mob then? Any train that can stay on thetracks is a good train for me. Recent Chiang Mai - Bangkok & of course the tragic Spanish derailment cases in point! I always enjoyed the trip by rail overnight from Udon- Bangkok, get there do your business that day and return on the evening chuffer. No need for high speed on that route!

Ayup Goodyson ... congrats on getting the footy sorted.

Ref the HSRL ... mash is the thick end of 50 ,,, i might see the project start but my experience in Thailand with these kind of super projects is i wont see it completed ,,, my son may well do . The workmanship and enevitable coruption will keep on setting it back n back n back ...

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 16, 2013, 8:06 pm

Looks like the "SLOW SPEED" service will start in about 45 days !!

UTTARADIT, Sept 16 – Thailand’s North-bound train services have been suspended for 45 days, starting today, and passengers must disembark at Sila-at station in this northern province to continue their northward journey by bus.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is providing six buses to take passengers to their destinations during the repair of the 300km of track between Sila-at and Chiang Mai stations.

About 20 railway police officers are assigned to Sila-at station to facilitate passengers and their belongings, and be on alert for possible goods smuggling.

Train services for short routes from Sila-at to nearby stations in Phitsanulok, Pichit and Nakhon Sawan are operating as usual. There are nine trains daily between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Somkid Leeloy, Chiang Mai stationmaster, said passengers with advance tickets were asked to get their refunds while those still wanting to travel on train would be transported by buses from Chiang Mai to Uttaradit.

The track repair was inevitable after the SRT experienced 23 accidents on the northern route since January due to deteriorated sleepers. (MCOT online news)

9 main line Trains a day (plus some local services) and they have to suspend the service to do repairs

I remember BR got a slating from Joe Public for closing a commuter line on Sat/Sun/Mon Bank Holiday weekend for essential maintenance and to completely replace a road bridge and a river bridge. Both bridges had to be built prior to the week end and the segments were "craned" into place. Job finished on time and the first train over the new bridges ran at 04:00 Tuesday morning

Post by **bumper** » September 17, 2013, 8:33 am

Maybe they better work on keeping what they have on the tracks for a change

Post by **FrazeeDK** » September 17, 2013, 7:13 pm

they really didn't say exactly what they hope to accomplish in 45 days.. Hopefully its a complete new track, bed and sleeper build just like we got here in Udon.. Although, I don't really know the exact completion status of the Nong Khai to Khorat track rebuild project.. Based on what I've seen, the Nong Khai-Udon link is redone, and it appears the Udon Khon Khaen link is done.. If SRT rebuilds the CM link the same way it should appreciably help the reliability of the railway on that route and allow increased speeds.. Double Tracking is next on their schedule BEFORE they even start the high speed rail project. On that, after seeing the Thais get the Skytrain going in Bangkok after decades of doing nothing, and actually completing the Suvarnaphumi airport, again after decades of talk, then high speed rail is something that can happen.

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 17, 2013, 9:57 pm

It really beggers belief that with such a minimal service on the lines, that they need to shut it at all to do the maintenance/re-railing. The French manage with a sliding two hour "White Period" the brits do re-railing jobs in the main overnight, with the occational weekend "Block" for major bridge or signalling work. All it takes is a bit of organisation ........ ok sorry ANSWERED my own question :-"

Post by **bumper** » September 18, 2013, 10:55 am

I do believe I will wait a h while before giving that a try

Post by **stattointhailand** » January 30, 2014, 10:26 am

Chinese suspect that not all the High speed rail money is getting to the worksites

Post by **bumper** » January 30, 2014, 10:40 am

Well at last a safe train in Thailand

I would think everything is pretty much on hold now, who knows what the future will bring beyond a session of violence

Post by **Prenders88** » January 30, 2014, 11:04 am

bumper wrote:Well at last a safe train in Thailand

I would think everything is pretty much on hold now, who knows what the future will bring beyond a session of violence

Yes the project most likely to put on the back burner, with the Chinese backed HSR service open in Laos years before Thailand gets its finger out. No wonder foreign investors are dropping like ---- off a shovel.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » January 30, 2014, 5:26 pm

when the Chinese rail link to Vientiane is fully under construction, the "face" thing make kick in for the Thai government to get moving on their side of the river.. But, like the reported planned rail link to Sakon Nakhon that was supposed to spur off south of Khon Kaen, it may sit for a bit..

Post by **bumper** » September 7, 2015, 5:19 pm

A lot has changed sine it was decided to do this. Thailand's economy is not what they expected nor is China's.

To my knowledge nothing in funded yet on this project. They have others to start as well such as the BTS, that may have actually started I don't know.

Post by **fdimike** » September 7, 2015, 5:37 pm

I don't believe China has anything to do with this route (Bkk - Chiang Mai). The Japanese are the ones building it and have begun to survey the proposed route. The survey is expect to take a year to complete.