BANGKOK – After much anticipation and extensive testing, the Bangkok Transit System finally launched its new four-car rolling stock as part of its larger, ongoing expansion project.
The new cars feature smaller windows but more handrails, as well as a state-of-the-art electronic train-locator board, similar to ones that the Singapore subway introduced in 1983.
But the real buzz has been around the new “door closing” sound, which replaces the excruciating, piercing nine-beep sound of the original rolling stock with a slightly less piercing, trilling, bicycle-bell-like noise.
“This door-closing sound, with its jarring but not painful acoustics, represents a big leap forward for Thai public transportation,” said BTS CEO Keeree Kanjanapas. “We’re proud to unleash this new sound into the Bangkok urban landscape.”
The sound was developed by Changchun Railway Vehicles Company, the manufacturer of the rolling stock, for an estimated cost of ฿240 million in a closed bidding process.
