BKK_BUS_Nov19

BUSINESS SUPPLEMENT
Cover Story
BANGKOK’S GREY LINE
MONORAIL GETS THE GO AHEAD
The much-delayed Grey
Line, linking Vacharapol to
Thong Lor and Lumphini Park
with Tha Phra, has finally been
given the green light.
The reason for the delay
has mainly been land access
issues, so the plan has been
modified over time. Indeed it
will run as two separate sections
with the line running
from Vacharapol linking to the
underserved Kaset Nawamin
Road and then via Ladprao 87
on towards Rama 9, Petchaburi
Road and Thong Lor. The
second section running from
Lumphini Park will provide access
to important areas such as
Sathorn Road, Rama 3 Road
and Charoen Krung Road before
ending at Tha Phra.
The entire cost of the combined
project is expected to
be 40 billion baht and it will be
built by the Bangkok Metropolitan
Administration (BMA). It will
sport 32 stations and will open
up new areas of Bangkok to
the mass transit system master
plan.
The deputy governor of
Bangkok, Sakoltee Phattiyakul,
was quoted as saying,”The
Grey Line has always been a
high priority for Bangkok governor
Aswin Kwanmuang. We
have been working hard to
make it come true. Recently,
hurdles have been cleared.
The Grey Line can serve city
folks as soon as 2023.”
Some creative measures
will be used to bring the Monorail
to life, including agreements
with the Expressway Authority
of Thailand (EXAT) to utilize
its land along the Ram Intra-At
Narong Expressway. As well,
the Bus Rapid Transit lane that
runs from Chong Nongsi BTS
station along Rama 3 Road,
will be replaced by a section of
the Grey Line monorail.
Mr. Sakoltee was also quoted
as saying, “A monorail is
smaller than the skytrain and
subway. But the Grey Line can
serve up to 35,000 passenger
trips per hour and that is quite a
lot,” adding, “City Hall supports
the Grey Line project because
it does not require a huge investment
like the skytrain and
subway. It will also not affect
locals residents as officials will
not expropriate their land.”
The line will certainly help to
alleviate traffic problems along
its route and has won the backing
of the Ministry of Transport.
It is also a key part of Bangkok’s
overall mass transit plan,
as it will support connections to
the Brown Line.
The deputy office chief of
the Office of Transport and Traffic
Policy and Planning, Chayathan
Promsorn, was quoted
as saying, “This project has a
rather good value-for-money if
we take into account the number
of passengers that the line
can serve relative to the cost of
constructing the structure.”
For all your advertising enquiries - Tel: 0846 77 43 60