Bangkok | Bang Sue Grand Railway Station

[Donald]

About Bangkok Bang Sue Grand Station

Bang Sue Grand Station in Chatuchak, Bangkok, will be Thailand's new railway hub. It will replace the existing Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) as the terminus for all long-distance rail services from Bangkok. It will replace the existing Bang Sue Junction Railway Station and incorporate the Bang Sue MRT Station. The construction of Bang Sue Grand Station began in 2013 and provides now 4 levels, 12 platforms - some 600 metres long - 24 tracks and 274,192 sqm of usuable floor space.

The 15 Billion THB investment is being built on 2,325 rai of SRT-owned land and will have maintenance depots for both diesel and electric trains. Also planned is a 186,030 sqm memorial site to King Rama V, known as the "Father of Thai Railroads", although this is expected to open after the station itself.

An elevated walkway will connect the station to the new Mo Chit Bus Terminal.The Railway Station is capable to accommodate up to 40 trains at the same time. Sitting very close to the Sirat Expressway, Bang Sue Grand Station covers an enormous 1,280 acres, positioning it to become the largest railway station in all of Southeast Asia.

• Underground Floor:
  Bang Sue MRT Station and parking for 1,624 vehicles.
• Ground Floor:
  Station concourse with ticketing and waiting areas (air conditioned area).
• Second Floor:
  Long-distance diesel trains (soon to be electrified) - 8 tracks .
  SRT Red Dark and Light Red Line commuter trains - 4 tracks.
• Third Floor:
  Don Mueang - Suvarnabhumi - U-Tapao high-speed railway - 4 tracks.
  High-speed rail (HSR) connections to Nong Khai, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai - 6 tracks.

The most impressive upgrade being made with the construction of Bang Sue Grand Station is the introduction of a high-speed railway platform, which first aims to connect Bangkok to Nong Khai Station in Isan (Northeastern Region). The first phase, covering the 251 km from Bangkok north to Nakhon Ratchasima, is under construction. The rest of the route linking Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai will cover a distance of 356 km. Once completed, this project will enable travellers from Bangkok to reach the Laotian border in only 3 hours, rather than 11 hours at present. Another important high-speed link will be with U-Tapao airport, which is being expanded to serve the Eastern Economic Corridor

This is the premier international train destination in an extensive plan to connect Thailand to other destinations; such as, Singapore and China. For locals, the use of Bang Sue Grand Station as a hub is expanded by its connection to the Airport Rail Link upstairs and the MRT system underground.

The following BMTA routes serve this station:

• 50 (Rama VII – Lumphini Park)
• 52 (Pak Kret – Bang Sue)
• 65 (Wat Pak Naom,(Nonthaburi) – Sanam Luang)
• 67 (CentralPlaza Rama III - Wat Samian Nari)
• 70 (Prachaniwet 3 – Sanam Luang)
• 97 (Ministry of Public Health - Buddhist Monk's Hospital).

[Sundance2020]

Bang Sue Station V-Logs

[Logan]

Minister confirms | Train Services at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station will end






































Rail services to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station will soon be no more, according to Thailand’s Transport Minister. Saksayam Chidchob says services to the station will initially be decreased from 118 a day to 22, before being phased out completely. No date has been confirmed for the termination of all services, but an earlier proposal has it pencilled in for December 23. The move has Bangkok commuters up in arms, frustrated at the increase in expenditure their daily commute will entail.

According to a Thai PBS World report, many commuters say they will now have to travel from the capital’s Bang Sue station by bus in order to reach work places in the city centre. Saksayam has acknowledged their frustration and says he will hold talks with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority about running a feeder bus service to transport people from Bang Sue station to the centre of the city. The minister has also pledged to discuss discounts with BTS Skytrain and Metropolitan Rapid Transit to reduce fares for people disembarking at Bang Sue.

Meanwhile, the minister says the State Railway of Thailand has created the SRT Asset Company Limited, which will manage the SRT’s assets in order to reduce its operational debts, which are approximately 600 billion baht. Thai PBS World reports that the Hua Lamphong terminal is one of several assets located on prime real estate, along with Thonburi train station, the Mae Nam railway station, and the Royal City Avenue land. The SRT is expected to make 5 billion baht in revenue from the development of its assets in the first year. This is expected to increase to 10 billion baht by year 5 and to 800 billion baht in around 30 years.

The minister has acknowledged calls to preserve the Hua Lamphong terminal as a museum, rather than sacrifice it to commercial development. However, he says the SRT’s significant debt means he may have to make an unpopular decision.

[Logan]

End of an era – last trains to Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong in December

It’s the end of an era as the State Railway of Thailand looks to ceasing train services to and from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station. The expensive patch of land, where the famous station is located, is slated for a swish new commercial development. The decommissioning of the famous old station will happen at the end of the year.

Hua Lamphong, has been the start or end of millions of journeys for over a century and is a Bangkok landmark. Originally built in 1916, Hua Lamphong was designed by Italian duo Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti. Style-wise, the iconic station is described as Italian Neo-Renaissance style – mostly seen in the balustrudes, arcades, decorative features and accents.

Now, the land’s new development is expected to attract 800 Billion THB for the State Railway over the next 30 years. The SRT is currently 600 Billion THB in the red. But the Hua Lamphong railway station isn’t the only land the SRT are looking to redevelop with land where the Thon Buri station, Mae Nam station and the Royal City Avenue also being slated for redevelopment. The redevelopments are being handled by SRT Asset Company, a privately operated subsidiary of the State Railway Authority.

But not everyone is happy. The much larger and brand new Bang Sue station, which will become Bangkok’s new railway and transport hub, isn’t as well located to some of the inner city’s most popular areas. For 105 years residential areas have sprung up around Hua Lamphong but the newer station is further out of town although the newer BTS and MRT networks link to the huge Bang Sue terminal.

For residents and families that settled near Hua Lamphong, because of the convenience and links to other inner city transport, the move will add to costs and time as they transit across Bangkok. Local residents have been vocal opponents to the move away from the old station, claiming they’ve had little say in the transition to the new Bangkok railway hub.

For now, despite the Transport Minister’s insistence that everything is being done to make the transition as smooth as possible, a direct link to the new hub doesn’t exist. The Ministers says Bangkok Mass Transit Authority is being asked to add new services between the stations. At this time those plans don’t exist with the old station’s final trains less than 2 months away.

Bang Sue station has had its public debut, not as Bangkok’s new transport hub but as a mass vaccination centre for the capital’s Covid vaccine roll out.

[Sundance2020]

Renovation of Hua Lamphong may wait another three years: BMA



It might be another two to three years until Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong station is developed for commercial use. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Office of Town Planning and Development has today put a hold to the State Railway of Thailand’s request to develop station and surrounding buildings for another two or three years.

According to reports, the 120-rai site planned for rebuilding as a mixed-use project falls under the blue zone in the city’s plan as laid up by the BMA, which is a government-owned territory that must be transformed to a commercial zone, known as the red zone, before work can commence. A source from the BMA told the Bangkok Post that the draft isn’t finished and it will take some time.

“The draft is not yet finished; it will be revised in conformity with the new town planning regulations. It will take some time, but it will be worth it.”

The SRT, on the other hand, can make a request to City Hall for a change of land use while the new town planning blueprint is being built, according to the source, who also stated that the request will be reviewed by the city planning board but will require public engagement.

The Thai Port Authority had earlier proposed changing the use of its 2,353-rai blue zone land for commercial purposes. It took years for the adjustment to be approved and placed in the new town planning code. The idea of rehabilitating Hua Lamphong station for commercial usage is part of SRT’s efforts to turn around its debt-ridden business. While commercial development takes place, historic buildings will be converted into museums or learning centers. For more than a century, Hua Lamphong has served as the capital’s primary railway station.

[Steve]

Trains throughout Thailand now leaving from Bang Sue Grand Station

Trains headed toward most parts of Thailand are now leaving Bangkok Bang Sue Grand Station as of today, except eastbound trains. Most long-distance, rapid, and express trains will now terminate at the station. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said that tickets for long-distance trains will be available on the southern side of the ground floor.




The SRT said that making Bang Sue a terminus for most trains will ease travel, especially since it connects to the Red and Blue lines and is close to the Green, Purple and Pink lines, Nation Thailand reported. The Bang Sue Grand Station opened last year and is the largest railway station in Southeast Asia. It has 26 platforms and 274,000 square metres of usable floor space.

The SRT has been adding more trains this year. In August, the SRT added two new trains running from Bangkok to the popular Malaysian border crossing town of Padang Besar. In July, the train between the Southern Thailand town of Hat Yai and the Malaysian border town of Padang Besar resumed service.

The SRT is now running 200 trains each day across the kingdom, with the most trains running throughout the south. Some 52 trains travel each day around Southern Thailand, while 46 run in the northeast, 36 in the north, 34 on Mahachai routes, 24 in eastern Thailand, and eight on Mae Klong routes.

[Sundance2020]

Thailand’s long-distance trains to relocate to new Bangkok rail hub from January 19.2023



The State Railway of Thailand is relocating 52 train services from Hua Lampong Station to Bangkok‘s new central rail hub – Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (formerly Bang Sue Junction) – from January 19. 2023 Passengers catching long-distance, rapid and express train services will depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district from this date onward. Inbound trains will also arrive at the new hub instead of Hua Lampong.

• Relocated services include 14 train services to northern Thailand, 20 services to southern Thailand, and 18 to northeastern Thailand.
• The first long-distance service to depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal on Thursday, January 19.2023 will be Train No. 171, a rapid overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Sungai Kolok on the border of Malaysia in southernmost Thailand.
• Northern and Isaan-bound trains will use the elevated railway track from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Don Mueang Station, which is also used by the Dark Red Line train service. The change of track on these services means that services to the north and northeast will no longer stop at Nikhom Rotfai, Thung Song Hong, Bang Khen, Laksi, and Kan Kheha stations.
• Southward-bound services departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal will use the elevated track to Bang Bamru Station.
• Ordinary, suburban trains and special tourist routes will continue to operate from Hua Lampong Station in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district.
• Trains departing from Hua Lamphong will stop at Sam Sen and Krung Thep Aphiwat and then use the elevated railway. Although, southward-bound ordinary and suburban trains departing from Hua Lamphong will continue to use the ground-level track.
• Passengers who have tickets for rapid, express, and ordinary trains – or monthly tickets – may use the Thani Ratthaya service to connect to Don Mueang Station free of charge for one year.
• Long-distance train passengers may also use the Thani Ratthaya service free of charge if their desired station is no longer operating.

In September last year, HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn presented the idea to change the name of Bang Sue Junction to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, which means “Bangkok’s Prosperity.” The SRT signed a contract approving 33 million baht to change the station’s name from Hua Lamphong to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal last week. The hefty sum left officials wondering if it really costs that much to replace a sign. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob ordered the relevant agencies to investigate potential corruption in the budget within seven days.

---

Sign of corruption? Bangkok station’s US$1-Million name change

When His Majesty the King renamed Bang Sue Grand Station, “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal,” in September, some quiet questions were asked if the Bangkok station’s US$1-million name change was really necessary. Yesterday, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has been obliged to assure a puzzled public that an investigation into the 33 Million THB (US$1 million) cost of the new nameplate will be fair and honest. An investigating committee comprised of representatives, from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, the Architects’ Council of Thailand, the Council of Engineers of Thailand, and the Comptroller’s Department, will run their finger down the column of figures, identify any wrong that may have been done, and right it. The mammoth 10-member committee will wrap up its business within 15 days.

Activist Srisuwan Janya on Thursday said the SRT’s spending and procurement method prevented competition and could have contributed to the project’s high costs. Citing urgency, the SRT said it used a “specific” method of bidding for the project, with a committee to draft the scope of the work and set a price. Srisuwan asked the state auditor to determine if the method was legal. Uniq Engineering and Construction (Uniq) had been awarded at least eight SRT projects, and, he added “urgency” was not reasonable because the project did not involve national security. The State Audit Office has initiated an inquiry.

Saksayam explained the breakdown of costs — 6 Million THB for dismantling work; 24 Million THB for; 900,000 THB for installation.

Uniq was awarded a 33-Million THB contract by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to change the nameplate from Bang Sue Grand Station to Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal and to install two SRT logos. Changes involved 48 three-metre-tall Thai letters and 62 English letters, glass panels across 85 square metres, and a metal structure covering 188 square metres, and includes the installation of two SRT logos.

The project has drawn widespread criticism over its costs amid claims that questionable methods were used in hiring the contractor. Saksayam said that since Uniq had built the station, it made sense that they should undertake the Bangkok station’s US$1-Million name change. The new name means “Bangkok’s prosperity.” The opposition Move Forward Party questioned Saksayam in the House yesterday about the cost of the change, which it described as too expensive and a waste of money for a state enterprise like SRT, which is saddled with a mountain of debt. The party also asked why the SRT didn’t install the new name at the station to start with.

---

Opening of Southeast Asia’s biggest Railway Station

Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began its operations on January 19.2023, a potential new age of train travel in Thailand.Officially, the station’s name is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king, and the centre of some controversy. To most people, it will likely be known as Bang Sue Grand Station, after the part of Bangkok it’s in. The name change is on hold after it a heavy backlash for its US$1 million (30 million baht) price tag. When His Majesty the King renamed Bang Sue Grand Station, “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal,” in September, many questioned the need to spend such an amount in taxpayers’ money.

Long-distance domestic and international trains will pass through the Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station. The first train out of the new station was bound for Sungai Kolok, on the border with Malaysia. Hua Lamphong Station on the edge of Chinatown in the middle of the capital was Bangkok’s main terminal for years. The iconic station, with its high-ceilinged waiting room, will remain an Instagram classic forever.

The construction of the new terminal coincided with major projects expanding rail networks in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, largely spurred by China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and its high-speed rail technology. Passengers at Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station will encounter a four-story station covering almost 30 hectares (3.2 million square feet). Many are already familiar with the premises because its cavernous halls were used last year as the venue for a government Covid vaccination program.

Trains will come and go on 24 tracks at 12 platforms, with the station able to manage up to 40 trains at the same time, according to the government. At peak times it can handle up to 600,000 passengers per day, more than 10 times the capacity of Hua Lamphong station.

[Tripadvisor]

Bangkok’s 2 main train stations linked by free bus

From January 19.2023, a complimentary shuttle bus service between Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station) and Hua Lamphong Station will make commuting in Bangkok more convenient. The bus service is a joint venture being operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

The free bus service was created in response to the decision to make the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Station the termination point for 52 long-distance trains. The revitalised new train station opened in November 2021 and serves passengers on SRT’s two urban Red Lines.

The shuttle service will consist of six low-slung NGV buses that will run between the two stations daily. Nation Thailand reports that the first bus will depart Krung Thep Aphiwat Station at 4.30 am, and the last bus will depart at 11:00 pm each day. For its opening day run, the first bus will leave at noon, and then will run every 30 minutes after that.

The BMTA will also be sending out extra personnel at both stations to help introduce the service to riders. They hope to raise awareness of the new helpful bus by letting commuters know about it onsite. Public buses will also have the details and schedule of the new free train-connecting bus published by the BMTA to increase exposure to train and bus commuters.

The Bang Sue Grand Station was granted the new name, Krung Thep Aphiwat, by King Rama X in November last year. Initially, SRT had planned to move all of the 66 long-haul trains, except for the eastbound ones, from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue, but the plan was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, 52 of the 66 routes are operational – 20 to the South, 18 to the Northeast, and 14 to the North.

[Sundance2020]

Passengers at Bangkok’s main train terminal to get help from Service Robots



Passengers at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal will be getting help from new service robots. The massive train station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, will feature six robots which can communicate in English, Thai and Chinese. The robots can guide passengers to certain locations in the train station such as the food centre, ticket booths, and taxis. According to Thai PBS World, the State Railway of Thailand is also introducing server smart wheelchairs to help passengers with disabilities. As the wheelchairs are still undergoing trials, the SRT says they will be in service soon.