Thailand's Mass Rapid Transit Authority will propose building a "Sky Walk" that will allow commuters to move between the Purple and the Light Green lines in lieu of a platform interchange connecting the two routes, the authority's acting governor, Theeraphan Tachasirinugune, said Tuesday.
The cabinet on Tuesday approved the Purple Line extension project, which will link Tao Poon to Rat Burana (Kanchanapisek), with an estimated budget of 101 billion baht. However, there was no connection linking the two lines.
MRTA deputy governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas said the Sky Walk would link the underground and elevated stations. No interchange point was planned in the first place as the Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTS), in charge of the Light Green Line, had launched its project much earlier.
The Purple Line extension is a 23.6-kilometre stretch, made up of 12.6km of subway track and 11km of elevated track.
- See also: Purple Line extension approved
The extension, also known as the South Purple Line, comprises 17 stations (10 underground, and seven elevated). It will connect with the Blue Line at Tao Poon-Wang Burapha station, the Orange Line at Ratchadamnoen Road near Democracy Monument Station, and the Light Green Line at Wong Wian Yai Station.
The project, once finished, will complement the Purple Line, which covers the northwestern suburbs of Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Amphoe Phra Pradaeng in Samut Sakhon.
Earlier this month, the missing 1.2-km link between the Purple Line in Tao Poon and MRT Blue Line at Bang Sue was completed after the prime minister, commuters and the media repeatedly criticised the line as being poorly thought out and causing a lot of inconvenience.
The premier resolved the issue by exercising his power under Section 44 of the charter to speed up negotiations between the MRTA and Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM).
BEM was hired following a cabinet resolution on March 28 this year to install rail systems connecting the two stations and the two Blue Line extensions: the Bang Sue-Tha Phra route and Hua Lumphong-Bang Khae route.
The link is scheduled to open on Aug 11 this year.
The link will help commuters save 30 to 40 minutes currently spent changing modes of transportation.
The Sky Walk project is expected to be open for bidding in October, after the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been sent to and approved by the National Environment Board.
The project will be open to international companies. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand can initiate bidding right away, but the signing of the contract (with the contractor) can be done only once the EIA has been approved by the National Environment Board -- the process is expected to be completed by September.
The concession to manage the line will be given to private contractors but its format is still under consideration, according to the cabinet resolution.
The Ministry of Finance is entrusted with the task of finding an appropriate loan source to support the project. The project is expected to generate a 12.95% economic return and a 4.59% financial return.
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said in January this year that the part of the Purple Line will go into service this year while everything will be in place by 2023.
The rail network, once fully connected, will see a combination of elevated tracks and subways running through Bangkok's business district, as well as linking parts of Bangkok with Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi and some areas of Samut Prakan province.