The first project is extending the current underground Blue Line by 27kms. The second is adding a link from that line’s Bang Sue Station to Tao Poon. Tao Poon is a station on the Purple Line. This line is scheduled to officially open to Bangkok commuters and tourists in August of this year.
Under the division of financing for the rail projects, the government will pay for compulsory land purchases. The private sector will build the lines, pay for infrastructure and rolling stock, and operate services for the first three decades.
Once the Purple Line is up and running, the Bang Sue-Tao Poon connection will assume a greater importance. The government says contractors will have a 15-month deadline for completion.
Travellers can’t buy tickets for Bangkok’s public transport routes from 12GO ASIA. What 12GO ASIA does provide is the most convenient online booking service for intercity buses and trains in Thailand.
Committee agrees to private finance for Bangkok urban train upgrades
News in Asia
A Thai government committee has given the thumbs up to a plan to invite private investors to participate in two Bangkok railway infrastructure upgrades. The deputy-prime-minister is the chairperson of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and he said the committee had agreed to joint funding for the projects.