First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

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buksida
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First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by buksida »

38507.jpg
Last month, we wrote about how we are finally going to get some new express trains. Now we can report that the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has received the first 39 of its new train cars, which will start service next month.

You can get a first glimpse in the pictures below. Some cool features of the new cars are not pictured, though, like seat-mounted TV monitors and USB ports for all first-class passengers, aircraft-style vacuum toilets, and upgraded safety mechanisms (CCTV, anti-lock braking system and no-gap connection between cars). First-class passengers will also be able to order food and beverages via a communications system at their seats.

They are also using a Power Car system, which saves energy and reduces noise, along with digital display boards for time and station names. Cars for the elderly and people with disabilities, equipped with lifts and wheelchairs, are available in the new trains, too.

The SRT is spending B176 billion on 115 new cars from CNR (China CNR Corporation Limited). This number includes nine first-class sleeping cars, 88 second-class sleeping cars (nine of which include handicap-friendly sleeping berths, toilets and showers), nine dining cars and nine electric power cars. All cars are expected to arrive by the end of September.

More: http://bk.asia-city.com/travel/news/tak ... new-trains
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by oakdale160 »

Its the same as descriptionsof new aircraft, we get all the details of First class where 5% of the passengers sit. But little about about 2nd and god forbid 3rd!
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

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You would need to be a masocist to want to spend more than 5 minutes in seats as thin as those.
Maybe that is cattle class.
:shock:
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Post by hhinner »

^^ 2nd class aircon sleeper I think.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by Homer »

Seems to me the seat back is vertical. That's gonna be uncomfortable.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

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Those seats are convertible into bunks so difficult to assess from a picture.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by Pleng »

Khundon1975 wrote:You would need to be a masocist to want to spend more than 5 minutes in seats as thin as those.
Maybe that is cattle class.
:shock:
??
Those seats look to be the same size as the ones on the current BKK-Butterworth train and those are absolutely huge compared to pretty much any other train seat I've ever seen... or any seat on any other kind of transport I've used, for that matter.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by pharvey »

HHTel wrote:Those seats are convertible into bunks so difficult to assess from a picture.
I can see it now - I assume they bunks above and not "Racks"?

Can understand some of the comments saying the chairs look uncomfortable as the pictures are not exactly clear.....

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Post by hhinner »

The facing seats pull together to form a bed. The attendant comes around with mattresses and bedding, including a set for the"rack" above.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

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Khundon1975 wrote:You would need to be a masocist to want to spend more than 5 minutes in seats as thin as those.
:shock:
:agree:
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by Pleng »

Not a frequent flyer then, Name Taken???
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

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Pleng wrote:Not a frequent flyer then, Name Taken???
:?
I think Airplane seats are probably more comfortable than those pictured.
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by Pleng »

Maybe if you fly business class.

No way are cattle class seats anywhere near as comfortable
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by Sabai Jai »

New rolling stock has to be a positive - I don't know how old the old ones were but it was pretty old - despite the usual high quality of maintenance in Thailand they had safety issues.

I went Hua Hin - Penang for my visa run in January and it was better than expected - new carriages with hopefully better suspension could make it more comfortable. I hope they have better catering, very disapointing and beer on my train!

The track of course I presume remains the same? - seriously bumpy in the South and the Trains have to slow right down
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Re: First look at Thailand's sleek new express trains

Post by HHTel »

"I hope they have better catering, very disapointing and beer on my train!"

Alcohol is banned on all trains in Thaiand. You can't even take your own - if found, it will be confiscated. Having said that, Railway employees have been seen drinking openly on these trains and it was drunken employees which led to the ban!
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