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

[Dave67]

14 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

Bare minimum for a change

You got me with that one , hahahah nice one

[soalbundy]

4 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Seems fairly high to me...

 

(facetious alert)

when it comes off the rails it seems even higher

[overherebc]

Half the budget will need to be spent on bolt-cutter proof fencing along its full length.

[timkeen08]

"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.

If the contract is given to a foreign company with a good track record with no Thai interference and no Thai workers - ok. I don't see that happening.

I watched an excellent Thai contractor built the mom's house next door with precision and beautiful results. He was on the Thai workers every second. All he and his wife did is jump from one side stepping worker to another all day long every day. And this was an experienced crew. Excellent work but way out of my budget for a major build. He corrected several errors with our 8 by 12 addition done by a cheaper contractor. We paid his price instead of bothering to go back to the original for a free attempt. We wanted it to be corrected correctly. All other minor errors I took care of myself or we just live with it.

How do you install the top trim border in a bathroom and leave two tiles with the poor fish trying to swim upside down? Or, use a different pattern for two tiles on the bathroom floor? I was still in America 3 months before SSA kicked in when my wife had the work done. She didn't see it, along with many others, until we did a walk through after she flew back to pick me up.

Imagine a few kilos of rail installed upside down. Or a few kilos of bamboo used instead of steel rail. They would be scratching there heads trying to figure out why they have continuous derailing accidents. I love Thais but it is what it is.

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[geriatrickid]

Build one to Hua Hin first.

[Bluespunk]

3 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Build one to Hua Hin first.

While I agree with you, I do enjoy using the first class sleeper carriages between Hua Hin and BKK. 

 

 

[kevc]

Its scary to think of high speed trains and slow thinking car drivers at crossings.

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[impulse]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

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

 

Jinxed it.

[Mansell]

A high speed train crash is more survivable than a high speed plane crash.

i would use it.....but not the minivans.

[impulse]

If terrorism ever comes to Thailand in a big way, people forget that it takes some sophisticated and expensive weaponry to bring down a flying plane.  All it takes to crash a train is a guy with a $50 cutting torch.  Air transport only really needs security at each end.  Tracks are vulnerable along the whole line.

 

[Dave67]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

If terrorism ever comes to Thailand in a big way, people forget that it takes some sophisticated and expensive weaponry to bring down a flying plane.  All it takes to crash a train is a guy with a $50 cutting torch.  Air transport only really needs security at each end.  Tracks are vulnerable along the whole line.

 

Nicking rail is a good money maker for top grade steel

[Cadbury]

I am curious to know who the mystery "government source" dreamer is that is doing all the big noting about the HS train. Usually with anything like this they love to put their name to it to show off and boost their ego and image. In this instance they have obviously told the reporter to hide their identity. I suspect that anonymity is important in this case as it protects them from being quoted when it does fail.

 

At least we know it was a man and not the usual Alice in Wonderland blather coming from the head of the Tourism Department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

5 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

I am curious to know who the mystery "government source" dreamer is that is doing all the big noting about the HS train. Usually with anything like this they love to put their name to it to show off and boost their ego and image. In this instance they have obviously told the reporter to hide their identity. I suspect that anonymity is important in this case as it protects them from being quoted when it does fail.

 

At least we know it was a man and not the usual Alice in Wonderland blather coming from the head of the Tourism Department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

This will be a high speed gravy train, so I understand why they don't want to put their names to it. 

[spidermike007]

I may be the voice of dissent on this thread. Even though the costs being quoted for building this high speed train are exorbitant, I believe that high tech transportation can only be a good thing for Thailand, in the long term. Imagine the country laced with numerous high speed routes? It would transform the nation. 

 

Of course, competitive bidding is always a good thing. I am certain this can be built for far less than the 700,000,000 baht per kilometer, that they are currently being quoted by the Chinese contractor. A totally non competitive, closed bid. Typical Little P. - always working tirelessly for the good of the people, without any outside considerations, to sway his brilliant, visionary and considerable mind. 

[Cadbury]

Just now, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

This will be a big gravy train, so I understand why they don't want to put their names to it. 

I am sure you're right. I think the gravy itself will be big part of the overall cost. The consequences of that alone could tip the scales between success and failure.

[bannork]

If the journey time is 1 hour 17 mins, how many stops is that allowing for? It can't be many , which means they have to assume most people boarding in Bangkok want to go to Khorat. At present there are buses leaving Mor Chit terminal for Khorat every 15 minutes charging 200 baht, taking  from 3 to 3 and a half hours. And those buses stop wherever people want to get off.

How many high speed trains a day?

[KhunBENQ]

3 minutes ago, bannork said:

If the journey time is 1 hour 17 mins, how many stops is that allowing for?

Max. one (Saraburi?).

 

252 km in 1:17h.

Average travel speed 196 km/h.

Not much time for stops.

 

Too me the whole high speed thing is a megalomaniac waste of money.

Better spent on medium speed trains (160/180) and build more connections and invest in proper road transport.

High-speed train passing rusty unsafe buses. What a joke.

[moe666]

Here we go again a great Thai bashing thread. Give them a chance boys it is barely out of the planning stage. When the BTS opened in 2000 many people were saying will not ride for one year too see how it works. Now it hauls thousands of people every day.

[sandrabbit]

5 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Max. one (Saraburi?).

 

252 km in 1:17h.

Average travel speed 196 km/h.

Not much time for stops.

 

Too me the whole high speed thing is a megalomaniac waste of money.

Better spent on medium speed trains (160/180) and build more connections and invest in proper road transport.

High-speed train passing rusty unsafe buses. What a joke.

I agree, it needs a 2 tier system with slow trains stopping everywhere and a higher speed inter city system with limited stops and a premium fare along the lines of London to Heathrow airport. I'd love to be able to get on a train from Rayong and have the occasional day out in Bangkok etc, I can pay 200 baht each way and be scared witless in a mini bus. This country needs an integrated  rail system which would be beneficial to Thais and tourists.

[Godang]

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Build one to Hua Hin first.

Prayut wants Korat done as he lives there, the Thai railway needs a total  upgrade double track throughout to standard guage new trains and  road crossings above  or below tracks..

[NCC1701A]

look on the bright side, you can visit the girls in Korat in 1 hour 17 minutes for 500 baht.

 

lets just hope it is a elevated track all the way or the deal is off.

 

 

[Classic Ray]

4 hours ago, tominbkk said:

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

Both the BTS and MRT systems were built by German companies and maintained more or less to German standards. 

 

I hope the Chinese and the Thais will insist that the High Speed trains they build will be made and maintained to similar standards.

 

It will be interesting to see how the Chinese train's performance and reliability compare to the system to be built in Thailand by the Japanese, who have successfully run high speed trains for over fifty years.

[NoBrainer]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

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

 

There should be Zero crossings.

 

Any crossing should be by way of Tunnel or Bridge. Anything else is just looking for a disaster to happen.

 

At the moment, Bangkok to Korat in a fast car is only just over one & a half hours, so unless your commuting

every day, (at 1000 Baht per Person round trip, which I find unlikely), then I don't see a lot of use for it, as

if you go from time to time on business, or holidays, then it's nice to have your own car anyway.

 

At the end of the day, what Thailand should be building is just a modern dual track standard gauge railway system 

all around the country, which can easily move people and products from place to place for little money.

 

But there is no prestige in that.

 

If they insist on building a high speed train, why not start out with one between the two airports, and the central business district.

 

That would be a good test bed.

 

 

 

 

[flyingdoc]

The new Super Highway to Korat is already well under way, and I have no doubt that the new High Speed Rail Link will work! 

[IamNoone88]

I think the greatest danger to the success of the project will be Safety. Keeping potentially lethal items off the tracks - people, farm animals, vehicles trying to jump the tracks and general idiots putting stuff on the rails. Hit anything like that at speed and it will be a disaster.

[KIWIBATCH]

There will be special amulets going on sale once the Hi-Speed trains commences operation...These will be called "No Fail" amulets and can only be worn on the train and can  be purchased at the Hi-Speed train ticket office. By the way...the amulets are Made in China

[Dave67]

5 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

 

There should be Zero crossings.

 

Any crossing should be by way of Tunnel or Bridge. Anything else is just looking for a disaster to happen.

 

At the moment, Bangkok to Korat in a fast car is only just over one & a half hours, so unless your commuting

every day, (at 1000 Baht per Person round trip, which I find unlikely), then I don't see a lot of use for it, as

if you go from time to time on business, or holidays, then it's nice to have your own car anyway.

 

At the end of the day, what Thailand should be building is just a modern dual track standard gauge railway system 

all around the country, which can easily move people and products from place to place for little money.

 

But there is no prestige in that.

 

If they insist on building a high speed train, why not start out with one between the two airports, and the central business district.

 

That would be a good test bed.

 

 

 

 

Yes you don't have any crossing of the track on high speed.It will be on a viaduct or land viaduct and tunnel which cars cannot cross. 

[wombat]

bloody dystopian people you are.....i'm all for it. when is it going to happen?

 

[Dave67]

2 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

I think the greatest danger to the success of the project will be Safety. Keeping potentially lethal items off the tracks - people, farm animals, vehicles trying to jump the tracks and general idiots putting stuff on the rails. Hit anything like that at speed and it will be a disaster.

If track is on Ground formation they will have to build a fence at the threshold of railway property to keep animals and people out. Its usually classed as Trespassing if someone goes over, under or through the fence

[wombat]

16 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

Both the BTS and MRT systems were built by German companies and maintained more or less to German standards. 

 

I hope the Chinese and the Thais will insist that the High Speed trains they build will be made and maintained to similar standards.

 

It will be interesting to see how the Chinese train's performance and reliability compare to the system to be built in Thailand by the Japanese, who have successfully run high speed trains for over fifty years.

i see work being subbied out to the Japanese