THAILAND: Passenger carrying test operations have begun on the 34·5 km Pink Line straddle monorail in Bangkok.
Passengers can travel free of charge until January 2. Official opening is scheduled for December 18.
The northwest-to-northeast Pink Line serves 30 stations. It links Nonthaburi Civic Centre on the Purple metro line to Min Buri on the future Orange metro line which is currently under construction. The Pink Line has a capacity of 17 000 passengers per hour per direction.
The BSR joint venture of BTS Group, Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating was selected in December 2016 to build and operate the Pink and Yellow monorail lines under a PPP concession. The joint venture’s Northern Bangkok Monorail Co is responsible for the development and operation of the Pink Line, and the Eastern Bangkok Monorail Co. developed and operates the Yellow Line.
Construction of the Pink Line began in December 2017 and the passenger-carrying trials commenced on November 21. The Yellow Line opened in June.
For the Pink Line, Alstom has supplied 42 four-car driverless monorail trainsets and its Cityflo 650 signalling system. The Innovia Monorail 300 vehicles were assembled at the Puzhen plant in China. They are capable of GoA4 unattended driverless operation and have a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
A 3 km two-station branch is under construction from Muang Thong Thani to Muang Thong Thani Lake with scheduled opening in 2025.
‘The new monorail line marked a great step in infrastructure development for the kingdom as it provides ease of transport for locals and tourists travelling in Bangkok’s suburbs, and helps attract foreign investments’, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said after having a ride on the monorail.
