Type Commuter rail Stations 22 | Termini Hua Mak
Sala Ya Website Red Line Project | |
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System Bangkok Suburban Commuter Train Status Taling Chan - Bang Son services suspended 13 Jan 2014 | ||
The Light Red Line is part of the planned Red Line suburban railway system to serve the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. It will run east–west from Sala Ya in Phutthamonthon District of Nakhon Pathom Province to Hua Mak Railway Station in Bangkok. The segment from Taling Chan to Bang Son (15 km) opened for limited, free trial service on December 5, 2012. Only 12 services a day (6 each way) operated on the line until all services were fully suspended on 13 January 2014 pending further notice. In July 2016 the cabinet approved the construction of the Bang Sue–Phaya Thai–Makkasan–Hua Mak segment. Bidding will be held in August 2016, with construction from 2017-2019 and opening in 2020.
Contents
Bang Sue–Taling Chan
The contract for the initial stages from Taling Chan to Bang Sue was signed on December 15, 2008, with the contract awarded to the Unique-Chun Wo consortium. Construction started in early 2010 but was delayed for a few months due to the late 2011 floods in Bangkok which inundated the route. Construction was completed by the 3rd quarter of 2012. Testing began in September 2012 for a 3-month period.
Bang Sue–Hua Mak
Construction is expected to start in 2017. There will be stations at Ratchawithi, Phaya Thai, Makkasan and Hua Mak.
Operation
The line opened for free limited trial service on 5 Dec 2012 between Taling Chan and Bang Son. The line is operated with 2 refurbished DMUs running a very limited service. There are only 6 services each way a day every 60 minutes from 6am to 8am and from 4pm to 7pm. As such, only a few hundred passengers a day ride the service. As of 14 September 2013, weekend services were cancelled. Effective on 13 January 2014 all services were suspended until further notice.
Until the Bang Sue Terminal is complete and the SRT purchases new rolling stock this service the line cannot fully operate.
Taling Chan-Salaya Extension
The SRT Light Red Line is planned to be extended by 12 km west to Salaya. 4 stations are planned be built along the existing SRT corridor; 1) Ban Chimplee station, 2) Kanchanaphisek (Phutthamonthon Sai 2), 3) Sala Thammasob, 4) Salaya.
Taling Chan-Siriraj spur line
The SRT operates existing services to Kanchananburi from Thonburi station. This line is planned to be converted to a spur line of the existing Light Red line, from Taling Chan to Thonburi/ Siriraj.
In August 2012, the SRT proposed that 3 stations be built for this 6.5 km route: 1) Talingchan Floating Market station at Bang Ramad, 2) Charansanitwongse station (connect with the MRT Blue Line) 3) Thonburi/Siraraj station (connect with the MRT Orange Line)
As of December 2013 no final approval had been granted to construct this spur line with the extension to Salaya being the priority.
Additional stations
Two additional stations on either side of the Chao Praya river have been approved to be built, at Rama 6 bridge and Bang Kruay (EGAT). However, as of December 2013 no contracts have been tendered for these two stations.