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[edit] About The Maps
This is a discussion on 2 maps: the [The Master Plan of Bangkok Transport System] and the [System Map of Bangkok Rail Transit Network].
[edit] The Rise of Mass Transit System
Since the days when Bangkok didn’t even have the skytrain, I have been rather interested in urban mass transit systems around the world which all have helped to alleviate traffic congestions by moving large volumes of people quickly and reliably. And it came December 1999 when I was just as pleased as most other Bangkok residents because it was then that Bangkok began to realise that a competent rail transit system will pave the way to a better future. From then, there had been talks and wishes about extending the skytrain, connecting it with the suburbs to boost the passenger number, but nothing substantial really took place until early 2003 when the Thaksin administration revised and expanded the proposed rail transit network for Bangkok and the environs. As the subway commenced its full operation last July, and as the Thai economy has been pretty healthy, the initial big talks about creating a massive network of rail system was transformed into widespread interests among civil servants, residents, politicians and policy makers. Although presently I still cannot be absolutely certain that the Thai Rak Thai-led government will be able to fulfill such an expensive promise within the tight timeframe, everyone in the capital, including myself, is keeping our fingers’ crossed with the hope that in the near future, the City of Angels will get to enjoy a convenient and efficient form of public transport like what many large metropolitans around the world do.
[edit] The Challenges
Should Bangkok eventually has an extensive web of metro lines, I believe that people will have more reasons to leave their cars at home and dodge the jam to save their time. Already, some people in the inner city are doing this daily but there’s also an urgent need to reach out to the suburban folks too before a substantial reduction in traffic volume could be seen. If this, one day, becomes a reality, the lives of Bangkok people will definitely be improved for good. But rosy dreams and big talks aside, the Thai government, especially the Transport Ministry, should seriously begin examining the challenges ahead if it has a genuine desire to turn a mass transit dream into reality. Where will all the money comes from? How to minimise the amount of work overlaps between state agencies? How can this mode of mass transport be financially self-sustainable in the long run? How to fund the fare subsidies and keep it affordable as long as we can? These are just a few questions which are easy to answer in theories, but in practicality, it certainly involves Herculean efforts and many long-term consistent commitments.
[edit] The Unpredictability of Mega-Projects
The maps which I have created are based on various sources of information like the local papers, press releases, official / unofficial documents from responsible agencies etc. and they have been compiled and studied in details over a long period of time before they are presented in the greatest details possible. At the same time, please note that there have been many conflicting information and unfinalised details with regards to some aspects such as the number of stations, their names and their locations along a line. Meanwhile, some of the routes are still in their cradle stages of planning, and therefore their exact route alignments are still unknown and even the bureaucrats in-charge themselves cannot provide a definitive answer. Sometimes, when the feasibility study has yet to be carried out, no one can even be sure if a proposed line is going to be constructed in the first place. Fortunately, things have been lot clearer over the past 6 months as many initial studies have been actively conducted and there have been a steady flow of good news. What I have included in these maps are things that are most likely to take shape with the bulk of them within the 6-year target set up by the government while the rest will require more years before they become a reality. These maps have also been created based on my experience and knowledge of metro systems, my familiarity with Bangkok as well as on informed and logical reasoning.
[edit] Proposals That Have Been Included
I have published these maps online before in the past and I realised that besides being informative, they should always remain user-friendly on top of being aesthetically pleasing. Besides, if you have seen them somewhere before, you would have realised that I do not simply add more stuffs into them each time but rather, I carefully examine what have become redundant, where are the errors, what are needed to be improved and do it even if it involves recreating them from scratch and changes many other things. While I am honoured to present these latest versions to you, please be mindful that some of the things you see will be subjected to changes as we move on.
There have been a few recently proposed lines, namely the yellow line (Lat Phrao – Sri Nagarindra – Samrong), the monorail (which plies Thanon Chaeng Watthana / Thanon Ram Indra from Pak Kret to Min Buri via Lak Si) and a few Bus Rapid Transit routes (2 BRT routes, namely ‘Mo Chit – Kaset – Nawamin’ and ‘Chong Nonsi – Rama III – Mahai Sawan’). Some details of these have already been included, but for the others, I would prefer to wait until things have become clearer before I decide to include more details of a particular project. Sometimes, completely new projects, together with many other sweet promises to build this and that, can emerge all of a sudden as the general election draws closer. However, I have chosen to believe that the government is pretty sincere in its effort to build more lines for the benefit of all.
[edit] BTS Route Re-Alignment
If you were a frequent traveler on the skytrain, you would have also noticed that the Sukhumvit and Silom lines are now represented by dark and light green lines. Moreover, you will also realise that BTS routes will be re-aligned once a substantial amount of line extensions have been done. Indeed, the state agency responsible for planning this have found route re-alignment necessary because once the green lines have been fully extended (to Bang Wa, Phran Nok, Saphan Mai and Samut Prakan), the existing Sukhumvit line will become too long while the Silom line remains relatively short. As a result, after the re-alignment, most off-peak trains will run according to their line colours (Bang Wa – Saphan Mai / Phran Nok – Samut Prakan) while selected peak hour trains may run along the old routes. For example, special peak-hour train from Samut Prakan may head towards Siam and terminate at Mo Chit instead of going all the way to Saphan Mai; meanwhile, another special service from Saphan Mai may terminate at On Nut via Siam. Passengers traveling beyond these stops will have to wait for the next regular train. This kind of peak-hour route switching is pretty common in many other systems around the world, but BTS will require additional electronic signage (such as large LCD screens) and public announcement systems to keep passengers informed of where an arriving train is heading for and terminating. With regards to the route re-alignment plan, it is feasible from the engineering point of view and the existing skytrain infrastructures should be able to effectively handle it.
[edit] A Closer Look At These Maps
These two maps have been created to compliment each other with each having its own strengths and a unique set of useful information. If you do a cross-reference between the two, you will appreciate them a lot more. As you scan through them, do remember that as a mass transit network expands, some of the stations, specifically those existing railway stations operated by the State Railway of Thailand will either have be disused, relocated, renamed or destined for a different commuting purpose. Some stations will grew in their importance (becoming interchange stations or providing connections to regional railway services that head for the provinces) while some will see less of the commuters flow. At times, in order to avoid confusion, some names of the existing railway stations might have to be changed in order to better reflect their localities or to simply prevent duplication of names. Most importantly, do bear in mind that all the Thai names that are found in my maps are spelled using the official guidelines adopted by the Thai Government and it is my intention that I strictly adhere to them. Therefore, the familiar “Silom” has now been written as “Si Lom” while “Asoke” is now “Asok” just to name a few. Nevertheless, I believe that you shouldn’t have much difficulty identifying these names.
[edit] Hoping For The Best
It is now time that Bangkok gets itself a world-class and seamless public transport system which truly caters to the mass. The Prime Minister and his team, who have also been talking about the possibility that Bangkok could host the 2016 summer Olympic Games, will first have to get these basic infrastructures right before moving further to compete internationally with other aspiring cities to host this prestigious event. But whether the Olympic flame will ever come to the City of Angels seems far less significant when compared to the growing stress that millions of Bangkok commuters now faces day in and day out as they travel to work and school. Lastly, I will always welcome your feedback and criticisms at zoowatch@hotmail.com.
Enjoy!
