Thailand’s new rail hub finally ready to roll

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station – touted as Southeast Asia’s most modern rail terminus – opened with little fanfare last year as COVID-19 dominated headlines. Its role as the national rail hub has also been delayed by well over a year.

However, the pandemic also made Bang Sue Grand Station a household word among Thais. Hundreds of thousands flocked to the station between May 2021 and September this year to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus. Bang Sue served as the city’s main vaccination center, delivering more than 6 million shots over 16 months.

Now that the infection rate has fallen and a central vaccination center is no longer necessary, Bang Sue Grand Station can go back to its original job – serving as a railway hub.

Bangkok’s new central station

From January next year, all commercial trains will switch from the old Bangkok station of Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue, explained Nirut Maneephan, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor.

“Some 56 such trains leave the capital daily,” he said.

Commercial trains refer to Special Express, Express, and Rapid trains that have first-class and sleeper carriages. Most of these trains serve long-distance routes from Bangkok to cities such as Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Songkhla or Yala.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob had pushed hard for Bang Sue Grand Station to take over from the historic and hugely popular Hua Lamphong station since late last year, but to no avail.

Now, however, major types of railway services are finally about to shift to the new national hub with Hua Lamphong catering to just short-haul or ordinary trains, that stop at all stations and have no first-class cabins.

In preparation for its larger role, Bang Sue started selling tickets for long-distance trips on November 1.

Bang Sue Grand Station

Built between 2013 and 2019 with a budget of 34.14 billion baht, Bang Sue Grand Station is more than three times larger than Hua Lamphong at nearly 300,000 square meters. It has 24 platforms – compared with Hua Lamphong’s 14 – and capacity to serve more than 600,000 passengers daily.

The station is packed with world-class facilities. Thanks to 5G technology, passengers will be greeted by SRT robots that can communicate in both Thai and English. The robots will provide passengers with travel information, recommendations on attractions, and basic assistance. For instance, the SRT automated helpers can guide passengers to the right platform if they lose their way. They can also alert their human colleagues when extra help if needed.

Another example of high-tech automation at Bang Sue is the smart wheelchairs, which are available to take passengers who can’t walk anywhere in the station without human help.

Security in the station is also AI-enabled, with video from the more than 120 security cameras monitored via artificial intelligence. The system also issues alerts in real-time, so human staff can rush to help passengers in cases of emergency or if they stray into dangerous zones.

It will also serve as a key city transport hub as it is connected to the Red Line and Thailand’s three main airports, as well as the Airport Rail Link and the MRT Blue Line. It will serve, too, as a stop in the future rail line linking Kunming in China with Singapore.

Bang Sue has strong road connections and can be accessed conveniently via Bangkok’s network of main roads and expressways.

Located in the capital’s Chatuchak district, this shiny new station is expected to spur economic development, reduce the cost and time spent on travel and smoothly connect Thailand to its neighbors.

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

33 million baht to change of the name of Bang Sue Grand Station

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has provided full details of the expenses involved in changing the name of Bang Sue Grand Station to Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal, in defence of its 33 million baht estimated cost, viewed by critics as being too expensive.

On the characters to be replaced, the SRT said that there are 48 Thai characters and 62 English letters to be changed, not 56 as widely misunderstood, plus two logos. The name plates are on both the eastern and western sides of the station.

The budget is not only for changing the name and the installation of the new name plates, but also covers the expense of the removal of the old name plates, changes of glass and aluminium panels, the lighting system rearrangement, designing and structural engineering works, plus insurance coverage for 365 days, said the SRT.

The new name, Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal, which means “Bangkok’s prosperity”, was presented to the SRT by His Majesty the King in September last year.

[vinapu]

whole station on that scale seems like great waste of money so 33 million this way or that just adds to misspent fund anyways.

Saying that  ,it quite possible that in 20-30 everybody will be praising vision of builders as it will be exactly on the scale Bangkok will need then.

I still believe that some form of rail transport ( shuttle train or streetcar ) from Haulampong to new station would be very beneficial   for all users

[thaiophilus]

21 hours ago, vinapu said:

whole station on that scale seems like great waste of money so 33 million this way or that just adds to misspent fund anyways.

Saying that  ,it quite possible that in 20-30 everybody will be praising vision of builders as it will be exactly on the scale Bangkok will need then.

I still believe that some form of rail transport ( shuttle train or streetcar ) from Haulampong to new station would be very beneficial   for all users

In principle, there's the MRT, but TiT so it's a 650+ metre walk (according to Google) from Bang Sue MRT to what may or not be an entrance to  Krung Thep Aphiwat.

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, thaiophilus said:

In principle, there's the MRT, but TiT so it's a 650+ metre walk (according to Google) from Bang Sue MRT to what may or not be an entrance to  Krung Thep Aphiwat.

it why getting to Don Muang by slow, rickety train from Hualampong takes whole 1 hr while  using MRT and then new SRT red line from BangSue is just only  speedy 60 minutes   

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

Bang Sue train station name plate change put on hold

Under heavy criticism for what is being seen as a waste of taxpayers’ money, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has decided to postpone its plan to replace Bang Sue Grand Station’s name plate and the redesign of the SRT logo.

An informed source said that the SRT has notified the management of Uniq Engineering and Construction (UNIQ) in writing of the postponement of the plan until further notice.

Uniq was awarded a 33-million baht contract to change the nameplate to Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal, a name which was presented by His Majesty the King last September. Installation work was scheduled to start on January 3rd.

[vinapu]

shortly instead Land of Smiles we will be calling Thailand Land of Changed Decisions , yesterday flip on covid rules , today station , what's scheduled for tomorrow? anybody knows ?

[10tazione]

On 1/10/2023 at 1:48 PM, vinapu said:

shortly instead Land of Smiles we will be calling Thailand Land of Changed Decisions , yesterday flip on covid rules , today station , what's scheduled for tomorrow? anybody knows ?

need ID for buying weed apparently

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, 10tazione said:

need ID for buying weed apparently

and likely money as well