Pink Line restores full service to all 30 stations after Dec 24 accident
The Pink Line rapid transit system connecting Bangkok’s Minburi district with Nonthaburi province resumed full service on Saturday.
The Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT)'s 34.5-kilometre route now covers all 30 stations, Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote said.
The Pink Line had been closed temporarily on December 24, after a conductor rail fell from the elevated track at Samakhi station, damaging three vehicles.
The line has been reopened after the cause of the incident was determined and repairs were completed.
Meanwhile, service hours on the line have been extended for free until January 6, 2024, and fares will be reduced by 15% from the regular rates, which will range between 13-38 baht, to give maximum benefit to the public, the deputy minister said.
Surapong Laoha-Unya, director of Northern Bangkok Monorail Co Ltd, revealed that currently only around a hundred spare parts were available. They were urgently coordinating the purchase of over 1,700 parts from various sources worldwide to expedite the repair of the Pink Line Skytrain as quickly as possible. However, during this New Year festival period, if the parts are found, the repairs could be completed by January 15, or by the end of January 2024.
The MRT Pink Line is one of two new rapid transit lines that opened in Bangkok this year. The other line is the MRT Yellow Line, which connects Lat Phrao and Samrong.
The opening of the MRT Pink and Yellow Lines have significantly improved public transportation options in Bangkok. The MRT's lines provide a faster and more efficient way for people to travel between the city's major districts.
