Yellow Line fare structure to be considered by Cabinet today
The fare structure for the newly completed elevated MRT Yellow Line train service will be considered at the Cabinet meeting today (June 20) and will be announced before the commercial opening date on July 3, the Transport Ministry has announced.
“We do not expect any problems in getting the fare rate approved by the (caretaker) cabinet. The line should be able to open commercially next month as scheduled,” Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset said on Monday.
Yellow Line operator Eastern Bangkok Monorail (EBM) has indicated that the proposed fare will start at 15 baht and be capped at 45 baht. The company expects an average of 200,000 passengers per day after the commercial opening.
The MRT Yellow Line monorail has been offering free trial rides since June 3. The trial run first covered the 13 stations from Samrong to Hua Mak stations, with a further nine from Sri Kritha to Phawana stations added last week.
The Lat Phrao-Samrong Yellow Line route spans 30.4 kilometres and comprises 23 stations. The route starts at the Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection near MRT Lat Phrao station and runs along Lat Phrao Road, crosses the Bang Kapi intersection before turning right onto Srinakarin Road. After passing the Soi Onnuch and Theparak intersections at Sri Nuch and Sri Thep stations, the train takes a right turn into Theparak Road before terminating at the Samrong Station at the Sukhumvit intersection.
Surapong Laoha-Unya, president of Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), parent company of EBM, said earlier that the company estimated earnings of 1-billion-baht from operating the Yellow Line this year.
EBM is also planning to add three more carriages to each train from the current 4, which have a capacity of 1,000 passengers, as it expects more commuters to use the monorail after the commercial opening.
BTSC is also constructing the Khae Rai-Minburi section of the MRT Pink Line and expects the line to start trial runs in November this year, after more than two years of delay due to Covid-19 outbreak, he said.
