Subway of Bangkok

The subway of Bangkok (Thailand), officially called MRT (Farmhouse Rapid Transit) is currently a project of 111 km of underground lines which will open between April 2004 and 2010, for estimated total costs of approximately 6,2 billion Euro S.

Urban town and country planning

In 2003 and until the opening day before of the blue line, the State inhabitant of Thailand tries to repurchase the concessions of the lines of bus of the agglomeration in order to recompose the joint grid systems and to effectively associate the new subway, the automatic line Skytrain and the buses.

Blue line

The project, delayed several years because of the Asian Crise of 1997 is extremely ambitious, the basement of the capital inhabitant of Thailand being saturated with water. Two lines are projected whose exploitation is entrusted to the MRTA (Farmhouse Rapid Transit Authority off Thailand)

The first completed line is the blue line which was put in business service the July 3rd 2004. Long of 20km, it connects the center of the city, the railway station of Hualamphong, with the Northern Banlieue, using 18 stations. It was to have cost approximately 2,288 billion euros.

From April 13rd to 18th 2004, Bangkok Metro Company opened exceptionally the line on 9 of the 18 stations to make it possible the public to discover it.

Tariffing

After one promotional period with cheap rate, (Thais having a certain apprehension to descend under-ground), the tariffing system at the station is set up. A token magnetized out of black plastic is used as transport document, it is returned to the exit. The regular users buy periodic magnetic cards or subscriptions.

Sources

the Rail n°108, Paris, April 2004.

See too

elevated Railway of Bangkok

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