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BTS Taksin (Thonburi Extension) Maybe Open march 2009
Extended skytrain route to open in 2009
BANGKOK, Feb 22 (TNA) – The extended route of the Thai capital's elevated "Skytrain" is expected to open to serve Bangkok commuters in 2009.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Panit Wikitset led City Hall advisors to observe construction progress on the Skytrain extension from the present Taksin Bridge terminus, crossing the Chao Phraya River to carry commuters who will no longer have to drive their automobiles to congested central Bangkok.
Work on the cross-river extension is almost completed.
Meanwhile, bidding on the electronic and communications systems were to take place on Friday afternoon, Mr. Panit said, adding that he believed the bids will cost less than the estimated budget of Bt 714 million.
Trial runs on the new route are expected at year end and the extended service will begin commercial operation in January 2009.
On February 25, Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung will visit the site to meet with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials regarding the extended Skytrain routes including the Morchit-Saphan Mai route, which still is projected at being over budget. (TNA)-E004
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Test runs on extension from Taksin Bridge start in August
Published on March 2, 2008
Test runs on the Taksin Bridge-Wongwien Yai extension of the Skytrain route will start in August, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said yesterday.
Speaking during a visit to the site, Apirak said the 2.2-kilometre extension of the Bangkok Mass Transit System's elevated rail network was almost complete. Test runs will start in August and full service is expected by March next year, he said.
The governor insisted that despite the addition of two more stops, the maximum fare on the Skytrain would be kept at Bt40, and the fare between Taksin Bridge station and Wongwien Yai would not be more than Bt10.
Apirak expected the 5.25-km extension on Sukhumvit Road, from On Nut station to Baring station, to be completed by the end of 2010.
Meanwhile, referring to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, Apirak said the first phase that links Sathorn, Narathiwat, Ratchanakrin, Rama II and Ratchaphreuk roads would be completed soon. Once in operation, the BRT and the Skytrain will be linked so that commuters can use one ticket for both systems, he said.
The Nation
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URBANITE
Bad planning delays Skytrain expansion
Published on March 25, 2008
Is anyone really paying attention to the Skytrain expansion plans?
Looking beyond the monthly announcements as to which lines may actually be built and the corruption scandals anticipated, it is time to examine what they actually plan to construct.
I recently headed over to Thonburi to inspect the 2.2-kilometre expansion across the Chao Phya River, which began 18 months ago.
The superstructure for the tracks and stations has been in place since the Skytrain started operating nine years ago. All that was required was to add the station platforms and lay down the tracks to Sapan Taksin station. It was supposed to be completed within a year and although the structures are pretty much finished now, passengers have to wait at least another year for the installation of a few electronic signalling devices.
An officer responsible for mass transit at the Bangkok Metro-politan Administration (BMA) last week said that the city has just selected the signalling contractor - something that should have been done at the outset.
When operations do get underway, the existing Sapan Taksin station, from which the extension to Thonburi begins, will join the Suvarnabhumi Airport as another of Bangkok's civil engineering blunders.
Since this station will no longer function as a terminus, trains now need to pass through the station from both directions, but it has only one track.
Common sense tells us that the whole purpose of double tracks is so that we can efficiently move trains and minimise the potential for accidents.
It is absolutely unheard of to have a single track in a heavily used urban transit line, unless it is for emergency or maintenance purposes.
The station platform cannot be widened to accommodate a second track, as it would extend over the adjacent roadway and into the path of vehicles.
Next I will head over to On Nut and see what problems are brewing at that extension, where less than 50 per cent of the structure has been completed after 15 months of construction.
Pappiklon
No movement
I live overlooking Saphan Taksin Station and the rail track over the bridge, it's now September 2008, and theres no testing going on that i can see, just the unused and rusting rail tracks like its been ever since I lived here, tose beautifully new stations that seemed to be completed last year are most probably going the same way...nowhere
