High speed train Bangkok - Korat 500 baht/one hour 17 minutes - "no way will it fail"

[webfact]

High speed train Bangkok - Korat 500 baht/one hour 17 minutes - "no way will it fail"

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

BANGKOK: -- A government source has told the Thai media that there is no way that the controversial high speed Thai/Chinese rail project will fail.

 

A source within the ruling military government revealed that passengers on the Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchasima route would pay less than 2 baht per kilometer.

 

That means a fare of no more than 500 baht for a journey that is expected to take one hour and seventeen minutes.

 

The distance travelled would be 252 kilometers.

 

The project has been mired in controversy since it was first proposed, said Thai Rath, citing concerns over favors given to China and fears that Thailand is not ready for such technology and it is unsustainable.

 

But an unnamed source told them it would not fail.

 

The source cited two transport changes in recent years to back up the government's assertions - the introduction of low cost domestic airlines and the MRT underground system.

 

"When low cost airlines came in everyone said they were still too expensive for the Thai market," said the source," they were just for the rich. But look now - they have been a great success.

 

"Then there was the MRT - people said it would fail, couldn't be built in the low lying mud of Bangkok but this has been similarly successful with huge numbers of passengers.

 

"There is no way that the high speed train will fail," he said.

 

The government is using powers under Article 44 to push on with the project despite concerns raised in many quarters, said Thai Rath.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-28

[ratcatcher]

              "no way will it fail"

 

 

                " UNSINKABLE "

[mikebell]

18 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

"no way will it fail"

Until it falls off the rails.  It happens once a week with slow trains.

[darksidedog]

"There is no way that the high speed train will fail," he said.

Famous last words.

High speed trains require a level of precision in the engineering that allows no margin of error. What I have seen here in just about every aspect of the countries infrastructure, does not aspire me to believe that such precision is realistic. I don't see me risking my neck on it.

[worgeordie]

No way will it fail,! unless they put really secure gates at all crossings,were

people on motorbikes and trucks cannot go around or even under.

regards worgeordie

[tominbkk]

10 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

"There is no way that the high speed train will fail," he said.

Famous last words.

High speed trains require a level of precision in the engineering that allows no margin of error. What I have seen here in just about every aspect of the countries infrastructure, does not aspire me to believe that such precision is realistic. I don't see me risking my neck on it.

Well the BTS and the MRT have done alright.  They have to start somewhere.

[Dave67]

I would say for it to "Not fail" they would have to develop Khorat quite a bit to make it a nicer place to live 

[MichaelJohn]

Yes, it's good value but ..... when you need a car in Korat you'll drive and I guess most people will not be doing business near the station.

 

[patyh]

So, when will the operator stop seeing reds? 

[darksidedog]

11 minutes ago, tominbkk said:

Well the BTS and the MRT have done alright.  They have to start somewhere.

The BTS and MRT don't travel at 200km/h +, though, and even they have not been without incident, and across the country they are common.

 

[Blinky62]

"There is no way that the high speed train will fail," he said.
Famous last words.
High speed trains require a level of precision in the engineering that allows no margin of error. What I have seen here in just about every aspect of the countries infrastructure, does not aspire me to believe that such precision is realistic. I don't see me risking my neck on it.

Scared of modern technology, don't worry you'll get over it , just close your eyes and follow the crowd.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Dave67]

1 minute ago, darksidedog said:

The BTS and MRT don't travel at 200km/h though, and even they have not been without incident, and across the country they are common.

 

Technically the train has to travel at 250kph+ to be called high speed. Granted its a Higher speed than what they have now but if its 200kph its not high speed

[clockman]

More, Hyperbole!

[madmitch]

They're going to need a lot of 500 baht passengers to recoup their investment. Similar railways in other parts of the world charge many multiples of that amount.

 

 

[djayz]

4 hours ago, Dave67 said:

I would say for it to "Not fail" they would have to develop Khorat quite a bit to make it a nicer place to live 

Korat might not be your cup of tea, but it's "home" to some of us ?

 

On this note, the city has developed a lot over the past few years; The Mall was extended and renovated, Terminal 21 built a store there, they've built/are building new apartment blocks, roads, shops, etc. 

 

Back to the subject of the high-speed train: as others have already pointed out, "precision" isn't their (Thais) forte.

 

 

[South]

I remember when you could fly that route for 500Baht ...... 

[djayz]

1 minute ago, madmitch said:

They're going to need a lot of 500 baht passengers to recoup their investment. Similar railways in other parts of the world charge many multiples of that amount.

 

 

In other parts of the world, people can afford to pay the higher fares... this is still a poor, developing country where the average income is quite low.

฿ 500 for a one way ticket is simply too expensive for many commuters. 

[Dave67]

1 minute ago, madmitch said:

They're going to need a lot of 500 baht passengers to recoup their investment. Similar railways in other parts of the world charge many multiples of that amount.

 

 

Agreed. Also the one way 500bt is a bit of a ruse unless they plan to get a bus back, just beter than saying 1000bt return I suppose

[darksidedog]

17 minutes ago, Blinky62 said:

Scared of modern technology, don't worry you'll get over it , just close your eyes and follow the crowd.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Absolutely incorrect. I used to regularly travel on the Maglev train in Shanghai, that gets up to 460 kmh. Truly amazing piece of technology, though even that caught fire one day. In a country that can't run slow trains without incident, traveling on one going seriously quickly could be considered potentially unwise.

[soalbundy]

22 minutes ago, Blinky62 said:

Scared of modern technology, don't worry you'll get over it , just close your eyes and follow the crowd.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Modern technology in a country with a 3rd world country work ethics. A high speed train crashed once in Germany where work ethic is very high, i don't think Thailand is ready for this.

[Dave67]

4 minutes ago, djayz said:

Korat might not be your cup of tea, but it's "home" to some of us ?

 

On this note, the city has developed a lot over the past few years; The Mall was extended and renovated, Terminal 21 built a store there, they've built/are building new apartment blocks, roads, shops, etc. 

 

Back to the subject of the high-speed train: as others have already pointed out, "precision" isn't their (Thais) forte.

There can be no ไม่เป็นไร attitude when building or operating this kind of infrastructure/machinery. 

 

Hahaha Sorry only passed through Korat a couple of times on the way to Udon about 15 years ago. Good if its developing. Strategy with high speed like Taiwans is they put Stations in backwater places which then get developed as people can live there cheaper than the city they are living in and still get to work. The price of land around any planned station will rocket.

[djayz]

1 minute ago, Dave67 said:

Hahaha Sorry only passed through Korat a couple of times on the way to Udon about 15 years ago. Good if its developing. Strategy with high speed like Taiwans is they put Stations in backwater places which then get developed as people can live there cheaper than the city they are living in and still get to work. The price of land around any planned station will rocket.

Bangkokians have been slowly buying land up around Korat for years... 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

14 hours ago, tominbkk said:

Well the BTS and the MRT have done alright.  They have to start somewhere.

 

That's German support and engineering. 

 

 

[soalbundy]

Even if it works it will still be at least an hour late.

[Dave67]

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

Even if it works it will still be at least an hour late.

They will have to get specialist drivers in , though they'll probably promote some SRT drivers and put gold braid on their collars

[edwinchester]

47 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

Technically the train has to travel at 250kph+ to be called high speed. Granted its a Higher speed than what they have now but if its 200kph its not high speed

According to wiki the Thai HST has a designed top speed of 252 kph so just squeezes in :)

[Eric Loh]

If MRT is being made a reference as the barometer for success, we or rather the tax payers better worry. MRT barely makes money. This extract from the MRT 2014 annual report.

 

"MRTA's ability to generate profit has been low and inconsistent. Annual expenses could not be covered by its annual income generated from operation".

 

MRTA depends on subsidies from the government for its operating expenses, depreciation and loan interest. It will be no different with the HS train. Tax payers will have to foot out the heavy subsidies. MRT could not even make profit with about 280,000 passengers daily; what chance has the HS train got running between provinces. 

[Dave67]

9 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

According to wiki the Thai HST has a designed top speed of 252 kph so just squeezes in :)

Bare minimum for a change

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"There is no way that the high speed train will fail," he said.

Every damn fool thing you do in this life you pay for.

Édith Piaf

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, Dave67 said:

Technically the train has to travel at 250kph+ to be called high speed. Granted its a Higher speed than what they have now but if its 200kph its not high speed

Seems fairly high to me...

 

(facetious alert)