The Purple railway line between Bangyai and Taopoon will start full test run in May and it will be operational in August to celebrate the birthday anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in his weekly Returning Happiness to the People programme Friday night.
Then the prime minister gave the tentative timetables of the opening, construction or the bidding of the other rail lines.
The Blue Line between Hua Lampong and Bangkhae and between Bangsue and Tha Phra which encompasses elevated and underground railway and goes through a tunnel under the Chao Phraya river is already 70 percent completed. This line is expected to become operational in April 2019.
The Green Line between Baring and Samut Prakan is 70 percent completed and is expected to come into service in February 2018 whereas the fourth route which is the extension of the Green Line from Mor Chit to Khu Kot is expected to be operational in February 2020.
The Red Line from Bangsue to Rangsit is about 50 percent completed and is expected to become operational in September 2020.
The Light Red Line connecting Bangsue with Phyathai, Makkasan and Hua Mark and the Deep Red Line from Bangsue to Hua Lampong are under study.
The Orange Line between Thailand Cultural Centre and Min Buri is in the process of preparing the median price for the project and construction is expected to commence in March next year. Once completed, this line will link up with four other lines namely the Red, Blue and Pink lines.
The 10th route which is an extension of the Purple Line between Taopoon and Rasburana is under EIA consideration.
The prime minister said that the 1.435 metre gauge is the standard of trains in the future and Thailand has not reached that level yet.
Link to MRTA map.
Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/150760
