"Red Line"

The State Railway’s Workers Union of Thailand handed a letter to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob on Monday explaining why the new plan for urban trains would confuse commuters and affect the agency’s image.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Friday dismissed rumor circulated on social media that urban trains no longer stop at Bangkok Railway Station, also known as Hua Lamphong, under SRT’s order in a bid to force commuters to use Red Line trains instead.

The long-awaited Red Line commuter train service was launched on Monday morning in a virtual ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The soft opening of the Red Line urban train, previously scheduled for August 2, would be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a source from the Transport Ministry revealed.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will invite bids from private contractors to manage the commercial areas at the Bang Sue Grand Station as well as along the Red Line suburban railway system in June this year, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said this week.

The Red Line suburban railway system running from Bang Sue to Rangsit and Taling Chan will go on a trial run on March 26, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Wednesday.

The maximum fare for the Red Lines has been set at Bt42, according to a source at the Department of Rail Transport. Due to start operating this year, the Dark Red Line from Bang Sue-Rangsit will charge Bt14-42 while the Light Red Line from Bang Sue-Taling Chan will charge Bt14-38. The maximum fare to ride both lines together is Bt42.

Civil construction of Bang Sue Central Station, which will serve as the hub of high-speed train connecting three airports (Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao), as well as the 10 stations of the Red Line urban train route, is now 100 per cent complete.

Railway unions have opposed a public-private partnership (PPP) plan to construct Red Line links from Bang Sue to Rangsit and Bang Sue to Taling Chan. The decision to open up Red Line construction and operation to private investors was approved last week by the State Railway of Thailand.

The State Railways of Thailand (SRT) is expected to call bids for the extension project of the suburban Red Line mass transit system in June, said acting governor Worawut Mala today (March 18), adding that the work will be split into three contracts.

PROPERTY DEVELOPERS are expanding their commercial and residential investments by more than Bt200 billion around the Red Line route under construction from Bang Sue to Rangsit, with expectations that the new route will start operating in 2021, according to a recent survey by The Nation.