101 replies to this topic
Posted 2010-11-27 12:57:10
Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed train project to be completed late 2015
BANGKOK, Nov 27 -- A high-speed train project, a planned joint investment project between Thailand and China, which will link between the Thai capital and Nong Khai province bordering Laos is expected to be completed in late 2015, said Supoj Saplom, permanent secretary for Thai Transport Ministry.
Mr Supoj said after a meeting of the working committee on Friday that the meeting had discussed on preparing a draft of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the joint venture project. The draft is expected to be ready in early January next year and forward to the cabinet for its consideration later the same month before it is submitted to the parliament for its consideration and approval in February.
The parliamentary process is expected to be completed in March while construction could start in 2011 and furnished in late 2015, Mr Supoj said.
Initially, the Beijing investment on the project between the two countries will be on a 50-50 per cent basis while the Thai finance ministry is responsible on investment details of the project.
Two more senior Thai officials -- one from Finance Ministry and the other from Foreign Affairs Ministry -- have been appointed to join the working committee as the entire process involves a joint investment between the two countries.
Distance between Bangkok and Nong Khai is about 640 kilometres. Previously, the scheme involved on constructing a high-speed train with dual rail track at construction costs estimated at Bt180 billion. But the costs could be lower between 20-30 per cent after the system is switched to a standard gate high-speed train system. Upon completion, the rail system could lower goods transportation costs as well as boosting tourism between Thailand and Laos.
Thailand's joint parliamentary meeting on Oct 26 has approved a proposed draft framework of Thailand-China negotiations to construct a high-speed train system in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva met his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on Nov 12 and the latter agreed to speed up negotiations to construct a high-speed train system in Thailand.
The Chinese premier said the discussion should begin with the details of the routes and format of joint investment, according to Mr Abhisit. (MCOT online news)
 -- TNA 2010-11-27
Posted 2010-11-27 14:04:15
5 years for 640km of high speed tracks?
With bridges, tunnels, station and..........save crossings??
And where is the station to Bangkok to accommodate such High Speed train?
Hua Lamphong?
Posted 2010-11-27 14:16:51
 rheinwiese, on 2010-11-27 14:04:15, said:
5 years for 640km of high speed tracks?
With bridges, tunnels, station and..........save crossings??
And where is the station to Bangkok to accommodate such High Speed train?
Hua Lamphong?
A station could be put out at Bang Sue. There would be plenty of space to build a large station. That would allow them to cross the river and continue on down south. There would also be access to the MRT and the SRT Airport Link extension out to Don Meung, and the planned MRT extension across the river.
Posted 2010-11-27 14:20:45
rheinwiese, on 2010-11-27 14:04:15, said:
5 years for 640km of high speed tracks?
With bridges, tunnels, station and..........save crossings??
And where is the station to Bangkok to accommodate such High Speed train?
Hua Lamphong?
The new national rail station is being built at Bang Sue. Bunch of mass transit lines under construction to it too. I think Hua Lampong is going to be closed, read something a while back about maybe making it retail space
Posted 2010-11-27 14:31:25
I can't wait for this to be completed.
I wonder how hi-speed it is going to be. Nongkhai to BKK in 4 hours?
Posted 2010-11-27 14:42:15
When the line opens I'm going to get a deckchair with alarge box of popcorn and sit there enjoying the show as the locals who're used to wandering up and down the train tracks come to the horrific realisation that this baby's moving a tad quicker than they're used to.
Posted 2010-11-27 14:43:40
^ Indeed, how scary. I wonder how long it will be before someones som tum cart derails it 
Posted 2010-11-27 14:47:21
I also thinking of those herberts on motorcycles who weave their way round the dropped level crossing barriers rather than waiting a couple of minutes. That'd be natural selection at its finest.
Posted 2010-11-27 14:53:45
mca, on 2010-11-27 14:47:21, said:
. That'd be natural selection at its finest.
Perhaps they should get more high speed trains then. 
Posted 2010-11-27 14:57:06
There's a Thai folk-song that goes along the lines of;
The train to Korat is so fast,
When you arrive you can still smell you Bangkok fahrt.
This could make that real, but in a country that cannot complete a few miles of sky-train extension and doesn't integrate any of its transport hubs, there ain't a chance of it happening.
Posted 2010-11-27 14:57:42
^^ Every village should have one. Forget that " One Tambon One Product " stuff. " One High Speed Train One Less Dullard On The Road " has a bit of a ring to it it reckon. 
Edited by mca, 2010-11-27 14:58:25.
Posted 2010-11-27 15:50:46
Soi Sauce, on 2010-11-27 14:57:06, said:
There's a Thai folk-song that goes along the lines of;
The train to Korat is so fast,
When you arrive you can still smell you Bangkok fahrt.
This could make that real, but in a country that cannot complete a few miles of sky-train extension and doesn't integrate any of its transport hubs, there ain't a chance of it happening.
Has China got a 50% interest in those projects?
Forgive me for asking but I am clue less. Is there that much need for high speed tourist and cargo train there.
Would the need not be greater say between Bangkok and Chiang Mai? 
Posted 2010-11-27 16:00:13
jayjay0, on 2010-11-27 15:50:46, said:
Forgive me for asking but I am clue less. Is there that much need for high speed tourist and cargo train there.
Would the need not be greater say between Bangkok and Chiang Mai?
China is going to build a high speed rail through Laos and this will link up with it. Next will be to build a line to the Malay border. Malaysia and Singapore will eventually be building one too. In 10 years you will be able to take a high speed train from Bejing to Singapore.
Edited by DP25, 2010-11-27 16:00:27.
Posted 2010-11-27 16:12:05
Well there's a lot of work to be done here, on these high speed lines U need a kilometer sound buffer either side, there should be no one living within 1klm of the line , because of the high pitched scream of the eletric motors at high speed , and then the fun begins with track formation etc, I wish them all the best, who is going to pay for this , I'd be very watchfull of the Chinaman, in China they have debits at 1 trillion with their high speed rail projects and some don't go all that fast either.
Posted 2010-11-27 16:12:22
Soi Sauce, on 2010-11-27 14:57:06, said:
There's a Thai folk-song that goes along the lines of;
The train to Korat is so fast,
When you arrive you can still smell you Bangkok fahrt.
This could make that real, but in a country that cannot complete a few miles of sky-train extension and doesn't integrate any of its transport hubs, there ain't a chance of it happening.
Because of the Chinese backing this will happen and will be economically a win win situation for Thailand,great news for Thailand and Laos.
Love the song,which folk song does it come from? 
Posted 2010-11-27 16:41:40
chainarong, on 2010-11-27 16:12:05, said:
Well there's a lot of work to be done here, on these high speed lines U need a kilometer sound buffer either side, there should be no one living within 1klm of the line , because of the high pitched scream of the eletric motors at high speed , and then the fun begins with track formation etc, I wish them all the best, who is going to pay for this , I'd be very watchfull of the Chinaman, in China they have debits at 1 trillion with their high speed rail projects and some don't go all that fast either.
The route is part of the Chinese strategic transport plan, so it will be built. However, it may not be all that fast. Did I read somewhere that by "high speed" the Thai Government means 100kmph. That is fast compared to the present service, but hardly high speed.
Posted 2010-11-27 17:24:04
The Bangkok Suvarnabhumi rail link began in 1997 and finally opened this year.
5 years to get all the way to Nong Khai? I'll believe when it happens.
Posted 2010-11-27 17:30:04
rreddin, on 2010-11-27 16:41:40, said:
The route is part of the Chinese strategic transport plan, so it will be built. However, it may not be all that fast. Did I read somewhere that by "high speed" the Thai Government means 100kmph. That is fast compared to the present service, but hardly high speed.
You read it but it was a different project, a few days ago they approved a huge investment to upgrade all trains to 100-120 kph, but that is for the entire network in Thailand. This route will be far faster than that.
Posted 2010-11-27 17:32:57
I shall eat somtam for breakfast, dinner and tea for the rest of my life IF its running by 2015...
Posted 2010-11-27 17:33:24
apetley, on 2010-11-27 17:24:04, said:
The Bangkok Suvarnabhumi rail link began in 1997 and finally opened this year.
5 years to get all the way to Nong Khai? I'll believe when it happens.
SRL contract sign and began construction in 2005
Posted 2010-11-27 17:34:32
rreddin, on 2010-11-27 16:41:40, said:
chainarong, on 2010-11-27 16:12:05, said:
Well there's a lot of work to be done here, on these high speed lines U need a kilometer sound buffer either side, there should be no one living within 1klm of the line , because of the high pitched scream of the eletric motors at high speed , and then the fun begins with track formation etc, I wish them all the best, who is going to pay for this , I'd be very watchfull of the Chinaman, in China they have debits at 1 trillion with their high speed rail projects and some don't go all that fast either.
The route is part of the Chinese strategic transport plan, so it will be built. However, it may not be all that fast. Did I read somewhere that by "high speed" the Thai Government means 100kmph. That is fast compared to the present service, but hardly high speed.
640 km in 4 hours is only 160 kph. A nice little mover but still far from a bullet train. The Thai Rath news trucks drive faster than that on the highways. I wouldn't worry too much about sound buffers. If people were crazy enough to buy houses at the departure end of Swampy, I hardly think that a few squeals from a speeding vehicle is going to bother them all that much.
Of course, if it starts getting up into the 2 hour zone, then it could be interesting. Still don't believe anyone would actually move away from it though. Can you just see all the wood vendors who have set up shop around the railroad quickly trying to pull up their market off the tracks as the train approaches?
Edited by gregb, 2010-11-27 17:39:44.
Posted 2010-11-27 17:38:33
Thai at Heart, on 2010-11-27 14:31:25, said:
I can't wait for this to be completed.
I wonder how hi-speed it is going to be. Nongkhai to BKK in 4 hours?
I have been on these trains in China many times and they are very high speed. Top speed this trip was 320 KM/H. That would make Nongkai in less than 4 hours. The inside of the train is just like an aircraft. Good on Thailand for doing this.
Just out of interest the train tracks are usually elevated, so no chance of hitting the 'som tam' man.
Cheers, Rick
Posted 2010-11-27 18:42:30
bangkokrick, on 2010-11-27 17:38:33, said:
Thai at Heart, on 2010-11-27 14:31:25, said:
I can't wait for this to be completed.
I wonder how hi-speed it is going to be. Nongkhai to BKK in 4 hours?
I have been on these trains in China many times and they are very high speed. Top speed this trip was 320 KM/H. That would make Nongkai in less than 4 hours. The inside of the train is just like an aircraft. Good on Thailand for doing this.
Just out of interest the train tracks are usually elevated, so no chance of hitting the 'som tam' man.
Cheers, Rick
If it really is as fast as the trains in China, the tracks extended all the way to Singapore. I will be really hoping for this to happen.
But say, I do know that the rail station in Singapore is under going a huge relocation in 2011 from Tanjong Pagar in the central to Woodlands just on the edge of the Singapore-Malayan border. But i have not heard of anything high speed coming up.
Cheers
Posted 2010-11-27 19:11:42
Duh Quote as well as boosting tourism between Thailand and Laos. Yep Laos certainly is a huge source of foreign currency into Thailand.
Quote But the costs could be lower between 20-30 per cent if we use the existing rail and put big mother fu#cking shock absorbers on the new rolling stock.
Quote the rail system could lower goods transportation costs but alas even the fastest trains traveling in the opposite direction cannot use the same track so where as right now the so called express takes 8 hours our new flier will take 7, and all for 150 Billion Baht. --- spare me days.
Posted 2010-11-27 19:12:36
DP25, on 2010-11-27 16:00:13, said:
jayjay0, on 2010-11-27 15:50:46, said:
Forgive me for asking but I am clue less. Is there that much need for high speed tourist and cargo train there.
Would the need not be greater say between Bangkok and Chiang Mai?
China is going to build a high speed rail through Laos and this will link up with it. Next will be to build a line to the Malay border. Malaysia and Singapore will eventually be building one too. In 10 years you will be able to take a high speed train from Bejing to Singapore.
Fantastic, what a great concept and idea and now they they have the engineering to do it.
I hope it happens.
People scoffed at eurorail and the Japanese bullet trains when first proposed but now they are real......
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