Today, Phasadet Tunnel Opens, the Longest in Thailand, Overtaking Khun Tan Tunnel
Manager Online, July 28, 2024, 10:02 AM
The State Railway of Thailand has opened the new double-track railway line from Mab Kabao to Khlong Khanan Chit, including the opening of Phasadet Tunnel, the longest tunnel in Thailand, surpassing Khun Tan Tunnel, which held the record for over 100 years. The Hin Lap Tunnel has also been opened.
Today (July 28), marks the first day of operation for the new double-track railway route from Mab Kabao station to Muak Lek station in Saraburi province, covering a distance of 13.20 kilometers, and from Bandai Ma station to Khlong Khanan Chit station in Nakhon Ratchasima province, covering 29.70 kilometers. The Phasadet and Hin Lap tunnels are now operational, and services at Phasadet and Hin Lap railway stations will be discontinued starting July 28, 2024.
Passengers can use the nearby Mab Kabao and Muak Lek stations in Saraburi province. Although Phasadet and Hin Lap stations are closed for passenger services, the route will still be used by cement cargo trains from TPI Polene Public Company Limited's Saraburi plant, with 8-10 trains running daily, including special tourist trains.
The Phasadet Tunnel (Tunnel 1), located between Mab Kabao and Hin Lap stations, is a single-track, double-track tunnel that is 7.50 meters wide, 7 meters high, and 5.41 kilometers long, making it the longest railway tunnel in Thailand. It is equipped with comprehensive safety systems, including ventilation, fire alarm, firefighting, CCTV, backup power supply, lighting, intrusion detection, oxygen detection (not less than 18%), carbon monoxide detection (not more than 70 ppm), and sulfur dioxide detection (not more than 0.2 ppm). If any values exceed the set limits, the ventilation system will automatically activate.
The tunnel also features emergency telephones, a SCADA system, and fiber optic heat detection. Additionally, Phasadet Tunnel has emergency evacuation walkways alongside the railway and cross passages every 500 meters, totaling 11. There are five equipment rooms and a control room located above the northern end of the tunnel to monitor and control for any abnormalities, in accordance with NFPA 130 standards.
The Hin Lap Tunnel (Tunnel 2), located between Hin Lap and Muak Lek stations, is a single-track, double-track tunnel that is 11 meters wide, 7.30 meters high, and 265 meters long. The total railway distance is 42.90 kilometers, starting from Mab Kabao station to Muak Lek station, passing through Phasadet and Hin Lap tunnels, then diverging onto the existing single track before reaching the new Muak Lek station. Due to the elevated railway section at the new Muak Lek station awaiting approval from the Cabinet for the reconciliation budget before construction can proceed, the existing single track will be used temporarily. The double-track service will resume north of Bandai Ma station, continuing on the double-track until Khlong Khanan Chit station, with Bandai Ma station using a single track for southbound traffic.
The double-track railway project for the Mab Kabao-Chira Road Junction includes Contract 1 for the Mab Kabao-Khlong Khanan Chit section (km 134+250 - km 198+200), Contract 3 for tunnel construction, and Contract 4 for signaling and telecommunications systems. The project began under the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha and continued under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The contracts were signed on December 28, 2017, and construction began on February 1, 2018. The construction cost for Contract 1 was 7.56 billion baht, with Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited as the contractor. Contract 3 was worth 9.29 billion baht, with ITD-RT Joint Venture (Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and Right Tunnelling Public Company Limited) as the contractors. Contract 4 was worth 2.445 billion baht, with Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and LSIS as the contractors. The project aims to be completed by December 2025.
Contract 2, for the construction of the double-track railway from Khlong Khanan Chit to Chira Road Junction (km 199+600 - km 268+136), is currently undergoing revisions to the construction plan to include an elevated section from Khok Kruat station to Chira Road Junction, covering 16 kilometers. The budget framework is being adjusted to align with the first phase of the high-speed rail project (Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima) from Khok Kruat to Nakhon Ratchasima. This will be submitted to the State Railway of Thailand's board and the Cabinet. Construction is expected to take approximately three years.
Thailand previously had eight railway tunnels:
1. Khun Tan Tunnel on the Northern Line, between Mae Tan Noi and Khun Tan stations in Lamphun, 1,362.10 meters long, completed in 1918.
2. Huai Ma Lan Tunnel on the Northern Line, between Ban Pin and Phakhan stations in Phrae, 130.20 meters long.
3. Khao Phlueng Tunnel on the Northern Line, between Khao Phlueng and Huai Rai stations in Phrae, 362.44 meters long.
4. Pang Tub Krob Tunnel on the Northern Line, between Pang Ton Phung and Khao Phlueng stations in Uttaradit, 120.09 meters long.
5. Khao Phang Ho Tunnel on the Northeastern Line (Kaeng Khoi Junction - Bua Yai Junction), between Khok Kli and Chong Samran stations in Lopburi, 235.60 meters long, opened on August 19, 1967.
6. Chong Khao Tunnel on the Southern Line, between Chong Khao and Ron Phibun stations in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 235.90 meters long.
7. Phra Phutthachai Tunnel on the Eastern Line (Khlong Sip Kao Junction - Kaeng Khoi Junction), between Bu Yai and Wihan Daeng stations in Saraburi, 1,197 meters long, opened on August 19, 1995.
8. Bo Fai Tunnel on the Southern Line, between Hua Sai Tai and Hua Hin stations in Prachuap Khiri Khan, built to pass under the runway of Hua Hin Airport.
Diesel Fumes on express 71 in the new Pha Sadet Tunnel. Notice that my phone case and watch band have remnants on them. Luckily the passenger accross from me gave out masks while going through but not everyone got lucky. Ill post my longer video as well as the other tunnel when I get enough data.
Asian Train Guide
Thai Train Guide Jul 28, 2024 15:51
Pha Sadet Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in Thailand at 5.41km long, just opened for the first time today for passenger trains. I was on Train No. 72 and it had the best air quality I had seen in a tunnel. However, the air quality for the subsequent trains quickly deteriorated. No. 71 was next and a friend said tje air quality was bad.
I then went back through on Train No. 233 and then Train No. 136, and with each trip, the air got worse. The train conductor had to instruct people to quickly close the windows and put on masks. But the thick dust still managed to enter the carriages, causing discomfort.
Visibility in the tunnels was reduced to just a few meters. I had to squint as well because the dust was getting into my eyes. When we emerged from the tunnel, everyone cheered and started dusting down their clothes and seats.
I cannot see this tunnel remaining open. The trains need to revert to the old route until the SRT can find a solution to this problem.
Longest Railway Tunnel in Thailand Opens on First Day, Passengers Encounter Dust and Smoke Throughout 5 km
Daily News, July 28, 2024 18:16
On the first day of operation, the dual-track railway in the Northeast region of Thailand, passing through the country's longest railway tunnel, passengers experienced dust and smoke throughout the entire 5 km of the tunnel. The Railway Authority and the Department of Rail Transport have been urged to address the issue promptly for passenger health.
The "Daily News Transport Innovation Team" reported that today (July 28), the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) opened the dual-track railway in the Northeast section from Map Kabao to Chira Junction, covering a completed distance of 42.9 kilometers (km). This includes the Map Kabao to New Muak Lek section (13.20 km) and the Ban Dan Ma to Khlong Khanan Chit section (29.70 km). The train passes through the longest tunnel in the country, the Phasadet Tunnel (Tunnel 1), located between Map Kabao Station and Hin Lap Station. This single-track dual-tunnel has a width of 7.50 meters, a height of 7.00 meters, and a length of 5.41 km. Another tunnel, the Hin Lap Tunnel (Tunnel 2), is a single tunnel with a dual-track, located between Hin Lap Station and Muak Lek Station, with a width of 11.0 meters, a height of 7.30 meters, and a length of 265 meters.
In the evening, the Daily News Transport Innovation Team received complaints from several passengers, who shared clips and photos showing passengers in the third-class fan carriages covered in dust and smoke throughout the more than 5 km tunnel. They demanded that the SRT and the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), which inspected the tunnel's safety before opening, take care of passenger health.
The Department of Rail Transport stated that the Phasadet Tunnel is equipped with comprehensive safety systems, including ventilation, fire alarm systems, fire suppression systems, CCTV, backup power supply systems, lighting, and intrusion detection systems.
Dust Engulfing Train Cabins! Temporary Halt of Train Services through "Hin Lab-Phasadet Tunnel," Resumption Expected on August 12
Daily News, July 28, 2024, 20:18
The Department of Railways has explained the cause of dust entering the third-class train cabins following the first day of using the Phasadet Tunnel. They stated that only the outbound tunnel was opened for use, and both inbound and outbound trains were using the same tunnel, causing dust to accumulate inside. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is addressing the issue urgently. Train services will temporarily revert to the original route via Hin Lab and Phasadet stations, with the tunnel expected to reopen on August 12.
On July 28, Mr. Pichet Kunathumrak, Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), reported that dust entered the third-class fan cabins on the first day of operations through the Phasadet and Hin Lab tunnels. The first train to enter the tunnel was Express Train No. 72 (Ubon Ratchathani to Krungthep Apiwat), followed by Express Train No. 71 (Krungthep Apiwat to Ubon Ratchathani). Only the outbound tunnel was used, with both inbound and outbound trains sharing the same track. The use of automatic ventilation fans aligned with the train's direction caused dust accumulation inside the tunnel, which was then blown into the cabins.
Mr. Pichet expressed concern about the reported dust issue and coordinated with the SRT to investigate and resolve the problem. The temporary solution involves reverting to the original route via Hin Lab and Phasadet stations until the dust issue in the tunnel is fully resolved. Although all installed systems in the tunnel are functioning according to international standards, additional measures will be taken to reduce dust inside the tunnel, such as cleaning the tunnel and using manual ventilation fans for better air circulation.
These measures aim to quickly eliminate dust and ensure all systems meet the required standards before reopening. The new route through the Phasadet and Hin Lab tunnels is expected to resume on August 12, 2024. The DRT will closely monitor the dust issue. On July 25, the DRT inspected the equipment and railway lines for readiness to use the Phasadet and Hin Lab tunnels. The inspection found no issues on the outbound line, but the inbound line was not tested as it was not yet in use on the test day.
Full video of new Hin Lap and Pha Sadet railway tunnels shot from back of the train
Thai Train Guide
Jul 28, 2024
Full video of the new double track bypass that includes Hin Lap and Pha Sadet railway tunnels. Pha Sadet at just over five kilometres is now the longest railway tunnel in #Thailand. Shot from the back of Rapid No. 136.
The train got stuck in Pha Sadet Tunnel. The ordinary train number 233 from Bangkok to Surin entered the tunnel on its first trip and encountered problems before the tunnel was closed.
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