With the anticipation of the fare rate approval from the caretaker cabinet, the Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset confidently announced the commercial opening of the MRT Yellow Line monorail next month. Eastern Bangkok Monorail (EBM), the operator of the Yellow Line, revealed that passengers can expect a starting fare of 15 baht, with a cap at 45 baht, and predicts an average of 200,000 daily riders after its commercial launch.
Since June 3, the MRT Yellow Line has offered free trial rides to the public. Initially, the trial period included 13 stations from Samrong to Hua Mak. However, nine more stations, starting from Sri Kritha and ending at Phawana, were added last week.
Spanning 30.4 kilometers and including 23 stations, the Lat Phrao-Samrong Yellow Line route begins at the Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection near MRT Lat Phrao station. The route stretches along Lat Phrao Road, crossing the Bang Kapi intersection, and then takes a right onto Srinakarin Road. Continuing through Soi Onnuch and Theparak intersections at Sri Nuch and Sri Thep stations, the train eventually makes a right onto Theparak Road before reaching its terminal point at the Samrong Station, located at the Sukhumvit intersection.
The excitement surrounding the Yellow Line’s debut is further amplified by the plans announced by Surapong Laoha-Unya, the President of Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), EBM’s parent company. Surapong stated that the company estimates an impressive 1-billion-baht revenue generated from the Yellow Line’s operation within this year.
In anticipation of increased ridership after the commercial launch, EBM also intends to expand each train’s capacity from the current 1,000 passengers to include three additional carriages.
Furthermore, BTSC is in the process of building the Khae Rai-Minburi section of the MRT Pink Line, which is expected to initiate trial runs in November this year. This comes after more than two years of delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The upcoming completion of the Pink Line and the successful opening of the MRT Yellow Line promise a more comprehensive and convenient transportation system for Bangkok, making it an even more enticing destination for both business and leisure.
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