Pink Line monorail set for trials, free rides for two months

A significant advancement in Thailand’s transportation network is poised to launch its trial operations tomorrow, adding to the city’s mass transit system. The Pink Line, under the control of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), is expected to begin trial runs following the completion of the systems test by the Northern Bangkok Monorail (NBM), the entity bestowed with the responsibility to operate the line. Counting 30 stations along the route, the awaited line has been creating quite a stir.

In an early bird offer, free rides will be accessible to commuters for the following two months, leading up to November when the commercial services are scheduled to commence. The announcement of the opening schedule is seemingly ahead of the planned timeline, hinted the unnamed source.

The Pink Line was initiated in 2016, with the project linking Khae Rai Station and Min Buri Station, with the government supporting the MRTA in the land acquisition process. This 34.5 kilometres straddle monorail line commences at the Nonthaburi Civic Centre Station, which merges into the MRT Purple Line and concludes at Min Buri Station, designated to connect with the Orange Line which is currently in the construction phase.

In another key developmental update, the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Red Line services are also marked for an early start tomorrow. The decision, according to Suthep Punthupeng, CEO of SRT Electrified Train Co., was to accommodate the escalating ridership and to better assist early morning commuters travelling to and from Don Mueang airport. The trains are now scheduled to depart from the depot at 5am, half an hour earlier than the previous time reported Bangkok Post.

Further revisions in the schedule have also been announced for the Red Line. The expected arrival time of trains between 7am to 9.30am and 5pm to 7.30pm on the stretch from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Rangsit has been cut down to every 10 minutes. While outside these peak hours, trains are expected to arrive every 15 minutes, said the railway’s chief.

However, the timetable for the section between Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal and Taling Chan, notoriously known as the Light Red Line, remains unchanged with trains scheduled to arrive every 20 minutes, Suthep confirmed.