A switching problem that crippled Bangkok’s Skytrain mass-transit system Wednesday morning is not expected to be resolved until late tonight.
Anat Arbhabhirama, director for Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc, which operates the capital's two elevated electric train lines, said technicians discovered the equipment breakdown Tuesday night, but were unable to fix it before the system opened at 5am.
- GALLERY: BTS meltdown (14 photos)
BTS hopes to have repairs completed by midnight, he said.
The breakdown cut train frequencies in half and forced passengers to switch trains at Siam station, causing delays and long lines on the Skytrain's Sukhumvit Line.
The problems affected all passengers between the line's Bearing and Mo Chit terminus stations. Lines in some cases stretched out of stations, down stairs and into the street.
Lines at some BTS stations stretched out into the street. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Mr Anat said the switch failure delayed each train arrival from the normal 2-3 minutes to 5-6 minutes and, in essence, broke the single Sukhumvit Line into two segments: Bearing to Siam, and Siam to Mo Chit, forcing all passengers to switch trains at the busy interchange with the Silom Line.
The Silom Line's operation was unaffected by the equipment failure, but suffered the same lines and congestion.
In fact, the BTS meltdown had a pronounced knock-on effect on all of Bangkok's transport systems.
The Mass Rail Transit Authority subway system also experienced heavier than normal congestion and ride-sharing service Uber increased rates by 40% at one point to cash in on the increased demand. Social media users also complained that motorbike taxi drivers were stranded train passengers, in one case charging 380 baht for a ride between Siam to Victory Monument.
Backups on the BTS Skytrain spilled over to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority subway system, creating long lines at the stations like Chatuchak MRT. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Ironically, Uber Technologies on Wednesday announced the launch of a new motorcycle taxi-hailing service, UberMoto.
Reports on Twitter indicated that Bangkok's many foreign commuters also complained that BTS employees only made status updates in Thai, leaving tourists and expats in the dark on the troubles and required transfers. BTS itself has posted only two updates to its Twitter feed since 7am.
Mr Anat apologised for inconveniencing passengers and said refunds on fares were offered to passengers inside stations unable to wait. However, no other compensation was planned.
Video credit: YouTube user Nattawat Pheme