Hualampong News: Future plans?

[GWR]

This is an http://www.2bangkok.com story if ever I saw one! Photographic contributions welcome if you were in the vicinity! This has happened before, some decades back. Last time it was a run-away loco, however!:

Train hits ticket booth in Hua Lampong

A passenger car of the Bangkok-Sungai Kolok train accidentally hit into a ticket booth inside the Bangkok Railway station, police said.

The accident happened at 2:15 pm when the train was reversing into a track of Platform 4 of the station for passengers to get on board.

The last car became loose and got out of control and hit into the ticket booth, causing panic among waiting passengers.

Railway officials took about 30 minutes to salvage the car.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30030468

[GWR]

Train crashes into ticket office in Bangkok

(BangkokPost.com) - A Bangkok-Sungai Kolok train colluded into a ticket booth of Hua Lamphong station when it was approaching a platform Wednesday afternoon after a hook joining the head and its cars fell off.

One staff was slightly injured in the accident.

Officials said the hook linking the head and its 12 cars fell off when the train was stopping at the Hua Lamphong station, causing all of the cars to crash into the ticket office and a restroom.

Because the train was empty, no passengers were wounded, police said.

Manop Tassanakiri, the train controller, confirmed with the police that this was an accident, not a terrorist attack. However, police were investigating the scene and questioning witnesses before reaching a conclusion.

The train, which was scheduled to leave the station at 3.10 pm., was expected to delay its operation for about half an hour.

Link may expire:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_....php?id=117727

[qualtrough]

Waiting to get a tire repaired today I saw a photo of a train that had overshot the buffer at Hualumphong on the cover of one of the local papers. Caption said it was running from Sungnai Golok to BKK. Looked like track 4 to me. Caption addeed that it ran into the ticket office toilets, but fortunately nobody was hurt. Smashed end on diesel railcar, and torn up concourse were evident.

Not the first time this has happened. In the 80s a loco got loose at Bangsue (I think) and ran unattended into the main concourse. Killed some there and a taxi driver too on the way in. Layout of station was different then it is today.

[GWR]

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bang...ead.php?t=2321

It was also on Channel 11 Newsline. I waited to get a picture, but the bloody newsreader read the wrong news with the pictures and the camera battery decided to give up the ghost as I fumbled to switch it. And frankly the footage didn't show anything more exciting than a crumbled railcar end anyway.

[GWR]

It was also on Channel 11 Newsline. I waited to get a picture, but the bloody newsreader read the wrong news with the pictures and the camera battery decided to give up the ghost as I fumbled to switch it. And frankly the footage didn't show anything more exciting than a crumbled railcar end anyway. Another thread says it wrecked a toilet in the ticket office block:

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bang...ed=1#post14162

[Wisarut]

Well, that's Southern Speciasl Express 37 (BKK - Sugei Golok) running agaionst the buffer due to the violent bumping

More photo can be seen here:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules...ewtopic&t=1136

[ncr]

Seems it left some scratches in the floor tiles....

[GWR]

CDA members leave for Hua Hin on special train

Members of the Constitution Drafting Assembly depart on a special train from Hua Lampong station for Hua Hin Monday morning to attend a seminar.

They depart on the nine-car train, which was modified as mobile meeting rooms by the Thaksin government.

They will attend a brain-storming seminar on how to launch awareness campaigns on the new draft constitution.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30039976

[GWR]

This protest described below - yesterday (August 1) - seems to be the same as that featured on our frontpage today:

http://www.2bangkok.com

Mob blocking trains at Hua Lumphong
August 1, 2007

Pakorn writes: As of 5pm [on August 1], a mob of unknown persuasion (no news about it in the media that I'm aware of) is blocking the trains at the Hua Lumphong station.

Anyone know anything about this incident?

[All Photos: Pakorn]

02 August 2007
Transportation Committee to resolve issue concerning strike held by cleaning employees of the SRT
The Transportation Committee of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) said it will quickly seek a solution to rumours of lay-offs of cleaners working for the State Railway Transport Ltd (SRT). The SRT cleaning division recently held a protest in retaliation to rumours of lay-offs by the state agency.

Admiral Bannawit Kengrien (บรรณวิทย์ เก่งเรียน), Chairman of the committee, said after discussing the problems with SRT laborers and SRT executives, affirms that SRT has not decided to lay off all SRT cleaning laborers, informing that SRT just rotate them to work in other positions. However, the rotation has caused the dissatisfaction among the laborers due to cheaper wages.

Tomorrow (Aug 3rd), at 17.30 hours, the SRT will invite representatives from various cleaning companies to find out which company will be more flexible and favourable to employment conditions in the SRT.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter04

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglis...d=255008020035

Thanks to Bangkok Pundit for this contribution:

Protest delays trains

EMPLOYMENT :About 100 cleaners yesterday prevented trains leaving Hua Lampong station in protest at the state railway's decision not to renew their employment.

They placed wooden sleepers on rail tracks, preventing at least three trains from leaving the terminal and stranding hundreds of passengers in the afternoon.

They claimed the railway was hiring a new cleaning company.

Adm Bannawit Kengrian, chairman of the transport committee in the National Legislative Assembly, suggested the railway management meet with the protesters to work out assistance measures.

The protesters later dispersed and train services resumed at 6.30pm.

Link may expire. Scrolling required:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/020807_Ne...007_news99.php

[GWR]

[Photo: RotFaiThai.com - Train heading to Nakhon Sawan ran into food stalls at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon because it experiences problems with the brake. There are reports of injuries.]

No report found as yet!

[Wisarut]

Originally Posted by GWR

[Photo: Bangkok Post - Train heading to Nakhon Sawan ran into food stalls at Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon because it experiences problems with the brake. There are reports of injuries. — Somchai Poomlard]

No report found as yet!

You are refering to ORD 207 hitting Hua Lamphong during shunting due to the broken couplers ... which can be seen heree:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules...ewtopic&t=2755

[The Enforcer!]

Originally Posted by Wisarut

You are refering to ORD 207 hitting Hua Lamphong during shunting due to the broken couplers ... which can be seen heree:
http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules...ewtopic&t=2755

If it was merely being shunted how did it achieve sufficient momentum to jump the safety overrun zone?

The Enforcer!

[Yappofloyd]

An article in the Bangkok Business Online yesterday reports that the Permanent Secretary fro Transport, Mr Surat, announced plans to move most rail services from Hualumpong to the new Bang Sue terminal if I understand it correctly. Bang Sue terminal is estimated to take 5 years to build from 2011-2015!

So from 2015 Bang Sue may well be the main terminal in Bangkok.

In some ways the decentralisation of regional rail services makes sense for future planning given the size of the country and potential patronage growth - assuming all current rail investment plans come to fruition! Even more so as international connections grow over the coming decades.

The CAT can service the eastern lines (Aran and future Cambodia, Sattahip and the future Chantaburi/Trang HSR line)

Bang Sue can obviously be the hub for all northern and north eastern lines including Vietiane.

A renovated Hualumphong could then service the south line only BUT only if the connection through Samut Songkhram is made. It makes no sense for future growth and HSR lines to continue to have southern trains wasting time passing via Nakhon Pathom.

[Wisarut]

Keep the finger crossed for this matter ...

ONLY heaven know what ot be done on Hua Lamphong.

[pong]

Originally Posted by Yappofloyd

An article in the Bangkok Business Online yesterday reports that the Permanent Secretary fro Transport, Mr Surat, announced plans to move most rail services from Hualumpong to the new Bang Sue terminal if I understand it correctly. Bang Sue terminal is estimated to take 5 years to build from 2011-2015!

.

Old hat again-can remember this being proposed some time ago-when they even moved a few minor servcies out to the new platfm beside the Mochit busstation. Must have been on this forum too.
But in another way this of course makes sense: ever witnessed the traffic jams caused by passing trains at Yommarath etc? When Bang Sue gets better connections due to enlarged MRT etc. this will certainly improve the allover situation.
For me they can put the whole thing-a combined multi-purpose train/bus terminal for North+No-East+Laos-China etc. somewhere beyond Rangsit-or perhaps at Don Muang (space permitted)-and an efficient BTS/raised urban line into town from there. Thats what the Chinese also do with all their many high-speed links they building (save 2 hrs on train-loose 1 hr by getting into the far away station....)