Thailand’s PM set to review Pink Line urban rail project progress

In a move to accelerate urban transport development, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled to examine the Pink Line urban rail project‘s ongoing progress tomorrow before it is set to commence its trial operations. This announcement came from Anucha Burapachaisri, the acting government representative.

This inspection visit is centred on the Pink Line, a massive elevated monorail train initiative spearheaded by the Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). The Pink Line, which spans Khae Rai to Min Buri, has been proposed to enhance connectivity in the north of Bangkok and Nonthaburi by intersecting with five major public transit lines. With a whopping length of 34.5 kilometres, the Pink Line will house 30 stations once operational.

In terms of delegation, the prime minister will be joined by Anupong Paojinda, the Interior Minister, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, Prime Minister’s Office Minister, and Athirat Rattanaseth, the Deputy Transport Minister. The entourage will meet at the Min Buri station around 1.30pm to hear a comprehensive briefing from the MRTA governor, followed by a visit to the convergence point of the Orange Line. Post this, they will engage in a test run, from Min Buri to Lat Pla Khao station, reported Bangkok Post.

A recap of the construction updates revealed that by June of this year, the Pink Line’s build was approximately 96.97% completed and the electrical system stood at 97.34% completion, resulting in an overall advancement of 97.15% shared Anucha.

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According to a confidential source from the transport ministry, the Northern Bangkok Monorail Company Limited (NBM) is all set to operate the line after being granted the appropriate permission. Initially, the NMB had forecasted that the Pink Line would be commencing trial runs in January, with full services kicking off by June 2024.

However, these details have been recently updated as the company disclosed that services could potentially start partly by late 2023, presumably between the stations of Lak Si and Min Buri. Although this suggests a delay from the original timeline, no confirmed dates for the trial run have been announced yet, added the source.