Bangkok Subway Mired in Red Ink

[Guest fountainhall]

I happen to like Bangkok’s subway, despite the introduction of those ghastly TV screens. It’s a smooth ride, efficient and fast. Perhaps the fact that my nearest mass transit station is on the subway system helps, as I can walk there (just) if the weather is not too hot or too wet. It’s rarely as crowded as the Skytrain at peak hours. And the route network just happens to go to more of the places I usually want to go.

 

Yet, despite projected revenue growth of 8-10% over the next 2 years, the subway is going to remain in the red, at least until the Purple Line starts operations. This will run from Bang Sue to Bang Yai and bring in more commuters from the outskirts of the city. Even then, though, there remain two stumbling blocks. The Line is not scheduled to open for another 40 months – and the bidding process has not yet been completed! The winning bid is expected to be announced later this month with the Skytrain and Subway operators in the running.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/230169/bmcl-needs-purple-line-to-break-even-long-delays-curb-subway-firm-growth

 

Ah well! I for one will not be too concerned if they don’t get the contract, as I’m happy with the less crowded trains. But I cannot for the life of me work out why the subway operators, in typical Thai style, don’t even consider reducing fares to encourage more passengers! Sure, a ride from Silom to Rama 9 will save a huge amount of time in the rush hour. Yet if you need a taxi or other form of transport to get to and from stations, and you are travelling later in the evening, say, the chances are very high that two people travelling together will spend more in total when taking the subway than they will in a taxi – with precious little time benefit. That, to me, makes no sense!

 

It’s the same with the new Airport train. Pricing it at Bt. 150 when most passengers must also pay for other forms of transport to get to or from the Makkasan rail terminus, makes zero sense when a door-to-door taxi is only about double that. Compare that with other capital cities' airport links and the price will probably be much closer to four times for a taxi.

 

Bangkok desperately needs a more integrated public transport system that reduces the number of cars on the road. Pricing is one of the key factors affecting demand. Yet, few in Thailand seem capable of understanding this!

[pong]

this purple line is well under construction-most of the pillars stand and the depot is quite visible in its building. What is not fully solved is the connection with the current MRT, near Tao Poon )ever been there?/there is a Tesco and a big wet market).

The root of the problem is that noone has ever thought of the sheer possibility that these lines would not pay their way/and who funds the money for the losses. AFAIK about only HongKong has a money/making subway-underground-metro in this world.

What would inconvenience those in high Thai places in the know and having bought up the land on which endless new condo

[Guest]

The Skytrain and Metro would make more economic sense if other forms of urban transport paid the cost of their own pollution.

 

The logical thing to do is to start to slowly ramp up fuel taxes or introduce road pricing in urban areas. I note Thailand has a high proportion of pickups which are quite poor for fuel consumption compared with small aerodynamic cars. This is a bad idea, as eventually the end of cheap oil will be quite a shock to the Thai consumer.

Why not make the process gradual?

 

I'm sure the BTS & Metro lines should attract more traffic if the services were extended into obvious traffic blackspots like China town.

[Guest kjun12]

I happen to like Bangkok

[Guest]

1 If your hotel is outside a BTS station and you don't particularly like BKK taxis, the railway is a good option. The train does move quite swiftly. It's just a pity they built some badly located Taj Mahal of a main terminal. A modest & intelligently laid out terminal in the right place would have made more sense.

 

2 The railway can also function for commuters and airport workers. Many of them will not see taxis as a cheap alternative.

[Guest fountainhall]

The railway can also function for commuters and airport workers. Many of them will not see taxis as a cheap alternative.

Unless the operators give airport workers a really massive discount, I suspect most will take the local City Line train to Suvarnabhumi. That is a fraction of the price of the non-stop Express, serves many more communities and only takes an additional 15 minutes. It at least is a success and is jam-packed with local commuters at rush hours. I still don't see where the Express Line is going to find more passengers at present prices.

[Guest]

Even for tourists, the commuter train has advantages. For a start you can connect onto the BTS, rather than being dumped off in Makasan.

Surely the express line should continue to the BTS station also?

[Guest fountainhall]

Surely the express line should continue to the BTS station also?

In theory, that would be the logical thing to have done. But then, Thai logic is a minefield for most westerners! As others have said, though, at the Phaya Thai link station, there are no lifts or downward escalators. Not great for those with heavy luggage. Similarly, after you cross to the BTS, you have to choose to go left or right. Only one way has access to an escalator. So again you could be carrying heavy bags up a flight of steps. The main problem, though, is then getting on to the BTS trains. At the rush hour peak, I once saw a group of 3 tourists there who had to wait for 3 trains to pass before there was enough space for them and their bags to squeeze in.

 

For backpackers, that's much less of an issue, I reckon. For holidaymakers, though, especially with families, it's not the most pleasant way to start a holiday, the more so when they'll again have to lug bags down two sets of steps at their destination, and almost certainly still need a taxi to get to their accommodation.