Siemens-Bozankaya JV completes delivery of 22 metro trains to Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand (Urban Transport News):  The consortium of Siemens Mobility and Turkish railway manufacturer Bozankaya successfully completed the delivery of all 22 metro trains to Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company (BTSC) today. All trains are now in operation on the existing BTS (Skytrain System) Green Lines including its extensions. The last train entered service on the inaugurated Green Line extensions in October 2019. By the 4th of December 2019, Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company (BTSC) will commence passenger service on the newly completed section of the Green Line from Kheha Station to Kasetsart University Station. In total, 22 four-car trains have been delivered with the scope of Siemens Mobility delivering bogies, drive and brake systems, auxiliary services as well as the project management, engineering, design and commissioning of the trains. The trains were built at the Bozankaya plant in Ankara, Turkey. Siemens Mobility will maintain the trains over a period of 16 years. Sabrina Soussan, CEO of Siemens Mobility, said:

The BTS Skytrain System is a very special success story for us: It's the first public rail transport system to be completed in the Thai capital and Siemens Mobility has delivered the elevated system as a turnkey project. We've provided full service for the system since its commissioning nearly 20 years ago and will continue to do so until 2029, ensuring that over 99 percent of the existing trains are available for service every day. With the addition of our new trains, capacity on the Green Lines will increase to over one million passengers a day while at the same time, offering users optimal passenger experience.

In May 2016, the BTS Skytrain System operator BTSC awarded the consortium a contract to deliver the 22 trains. Siemens Mobility is also supplying the traction power supply for the Green Line extensions. The order was placed as part of BTSC's expansion plans to provide more trains on the existing route and its extensions. The southern extension inaugurated in December 2018 connects the provincial capital Samut Prakan, which lies around 25 kilometers south of the city center of Bangkok, with the capital. The elevated extension to the south begins at the current Skytrain terminus at Bearing, is around 13 kilometers long and consists of nine stations. The extension to the north starts at MoChit Station, consists of sixteen stations and is appr. 18.4 km long. The opening of the extended line to Kasetsart University station is part of the BMA's initiative to alleviate traffic congestion, with a further extension to Kukot planned to be completed by the end of December 2020.