Thailand to spend over US$19 billion for six more MRT rail lines

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand is to make immediate plans to develop six additional mass rapid transit (MRT) rail lines that should be operational by 2020. The lines will measure a length of 200 kilometres and entail US$19.16 billion in combined investments. The move was spurred by a forecast that suggests some three million passengers a day will use the MRT rail system in Bangkok by 2020.
August 24, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The 6449 Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand is to make immediate plans to develop six additional mass rapid transit (MRT) rail lines that should be operational by 2020. The lines will measure a length of 200 kilometres and entail US$19.16 billion in combined investments. The move was spurred by a forecast that suggests some three million passengers a day will use the MRT rail system in Bangkok by 2020.

Currently, commuter rail users take up a mere 10 per cent of the overall mass-transit system in Greater Bangkok due to the limited number of lines. MRTA's Governor, Yongsit Rojsrikul, says it would be able to reach break-even point faster as a result of the new proposed lines and increasing volume of users. In order to lower the investment cost of the government, MRTA planned to use sites along its routes to churn out additional income. Having been set up some 20 years ago, MRTA only has a single 20-km electric line.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • How digital navigation is key to managing congestion
    March 24, 2023
    Satnav – not costly civil engineering projects – might point us towards better management of congested road networks, argues David Metz of University College London
    Read More
  • Data helps Ohio DoT get grant money
    January 25, 2022
    Ohio Department of Transportation turned to StreetLight Data when it needed to finalise grant money for a key infrastructure link. David Crawford sees how metrics brought in the cash…
    Read More
  • Report highlights community impact of new mobility options
    March 29, 2018
    Local authorities and communities must understand the impacts of the new mobility options and regulate to get the transport systems they want, according to a new report. Colin Sowman takes a look. Outside of the big cities plagued with congestion, the existing transportation system(s) often cope adequately, and the ongoing workload (maintenance, safety…) is more than enough to keep local transport authorities busy. Is it, therefore, a good use of public service employees’ time to keep abreast of the raft
    Read More
  • Europe’s public transport ITS market expected to exceed US$1.9 billion by 2017
    November 18, 2013
    According to new research from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the market value for public transport intelligent transport systems (ITS) in Europe was US$1.3 billion in 2012. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of nine per cent, the market is expected to reach US$1.9 billion by 2017. Berg Insight suggests that the European market for ITS for public transport is in a growth phase which will continue throughout the forecasted period. The fluctuating economic climate has in most countries had little eff
    Read More

Highlighted Content