Purple and Red Lines to be joined under single contactless fare
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has agreed to allow commuters who use contactless Europay Mastercard and Visa (EMV) cards to pay only one fare when switching between Bangkok’s Purple Line and Red Line.
Currently, commuters have to pay twice – once when they board and again when the train switches to another line.
“Waiving the entry fee at the connecting point of the Red and Purple lines will cost the SRT about 33 per cent of revenue from all entry fees collected for EMV cards users,” said SRT governor Nirut Maneephan on Thursday.
“However, the SRT board decided to waive the entry fee in line with Transport Ministry policy to reduce commuters’ cost of living. The waiver will also encourage more people to use Red Line urban trains.”
The SRT said it will check whether the move complies with the State Fiscal and Financial Disciplines Act before making an official announcement in June.
The link between the Red Line and Purple Line opened in March at Bang Son station in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district. A total of 2,770 commuters have used the link since its opening.
SRT predicts passenger numbers on the Red Line will rise in the following months as more Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
The Red Line runs from Taling Chan to Rangsit station with a total of 11 stations in between, covering a distance of 41 kilometres. It connects with the Purple Line at Bang Son station and with the Blue Line at Bang Sue Grand Station, and will link with the under-construction Pink Line monorail at Lak Si station.