Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will on Monday inspect the progress of the Pink Line, an elevated monorail train system under construction, prior to it going on a trial run, acting government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.
The Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA)’s Pink Line (Khae Rai-Min Buri) is designed to link northern areas of Bangkok and Nonthaburi by connecting with five mass transit lines. It will be 34.5 kilometres long with 30 stations.
Gen Prayut will be accompanied on the trip by Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana and Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaseth.
The prime minister and his entourage will arrive at the Min Buri station at about 1.30pm and listen to a briefing from the MRTA governor before inspecting the connection point with the Orange Line.
They will then board a train for a test run between Min Buri and Lat Pla Khao stations.
As of the end of June this year, Pink Line’s construction work was 96.97% complete and electrical system 97.34% complete. The line’s overall progress was 97.15%, Mr Anucha said.
According to a transport ministry source, Northern Bangkok Monorail Company Limited (NBM) has been granted a concession to operate the line.
NMB initially planned for Pink Line to go on a trial run in January before going in full service by June 2024.
However, the company recently said the line might be partly opened for service in late 2023, probably between Lak Si and Min Buri stations. But it was not yet clear when the trial run would take place, said the source.