The first of some 35 train cars manufactured for Bangkok’s Skytrain arrived from Germany at Laem Chabang port in Chonburi earlier this week.
This development sets the wheels in motion for the planned expansion of Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) operations with a new extension line and new trains that can service an additional 30,000 commuters per hour. By October, Skytrain will have four cars per train, and this is expected to generate a 15 percent growth in revenue for BTSC.
Each of the 35 train cars were made by Siemen’s AG of Germany and costs TBH2.1 billion. The delivery is set to be completed by July 2013, but the first few will already be used by October.
BTSC Chairman and CEO Keeree Kanjanapas said the company also bought four-car trains from China to augment their service at the Silom Line in anticipation of the Wong Wian Yai-Bang Wa extension opening. The 5.3-kilometer extension will have four extra stations, with two of them set to open by the end of this year, and the remaining by the middle of 2013.
According the Chairman, once the expansion plan has been completed, BTS Skytrain will be running a stretch of 36.25 km, with 34 stations and a total fleet of 208 train cars. He added that the company aims to serve some 650,000 commuters per day.
BTSC COO Surapong Laoha-unya noted however, that they are considering raising train fares. He adds that the BMA had already agreed to this as part of their concession, the Bangkok Post reported.
The Pheu Thai government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority have been at odds recently over the Skytrain concession contract awarded to the BTSC, but the expansion seems to be going forward as planned.
