DRT to Transfer Green-Gold Lines to MRTA and Revive Regional Rail

Matichon•Economy•1d ago

Reader Briefing

The Department of Rail Transport is pushing for the transfer of several electric train lines to the MRTA and advancing the Chumphon-Ranong railway project.

•The Department of Rail Transport (DRT) plans to move the Green and Gold lines from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).
•The 17-45 baht fare policy will be supported by government subsidies to ensure it remains viable despite existing concessions.
•The DRT and State Railway of Thailand (SRT) may open bidding for the Chumphon-Ranong railway connection by 2027.
•The EMV payment system is being implemented to facilitate fare clearing and support the 17-45 baht fare policy for Thai nationals.

Overview

•Pichet Kunathamrak, Director General of the Department of Rail Transport, announced the acceleration of transferring the Gold Line and specific extensions of the Green Line to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.
•The main sections of the Green Line remain under concessions until 2029, with the government seeking to change the contract partner to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.
•Pichet Kunathamrak stated that the 17-45 baht fare policy will be implemented via government subsidies paid directly to citizens.
•The Department of Rail Transport is discussing the installation of additional EMV card readers on the Green Line with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and operators.
•The Department of Rail Transport aims for all electric train lines to support a single payment system by early 2027.
•The railway project connecting Chumphon Station to Ranong Port spans approximately 187 kilometers and requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
•If approved, the Chumphon-Ranong railway project could open for bidding in 2027 with an estimated construction period of 3 years.
•Private sector representatives suggested advancing the Chumphon-Ranong rail link without waiting for the Landbridge project to enable direct freight transport from the North to the Andaman coast.

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Key Quotes

Pichet Kunathamrak

"The 17-45 baht fare right will be limited to Thai nationals because the EMV system can verify information via credit or debit cards linked to banks."

สิทธิค่าโดยสาร 17-45 บาท จะจำกัดเฉพาะผู้มีสัญชาติไทย เนื่องจากระบบ EMV สามารถตรวจสอบข้อมูลผ่านบัตรเครดิต หรือบัตรเดบิตที่เชื่อมโยงกับธนาคารได้

Key Entities

Person

Pichet Kunathamrak(พิเชฐ คุณาธรรมรักษ์)

Director General of the Department of Rail Transport.

Anutin Charnvirakul(อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Organization

Department of Rail Transport(กรมการขนส่งทางราง)ℹ️

The agency managing the transfer of rail lines and coordinating the Chumphon-Ranong railway project.

Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand(การรถไฟฟ้าขนส่งมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️

The entity receiving the transfer of the Green and Gold electric train lines.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️

The current overseer of the electric train lines being transferred to the MRTA.

State Railway of Thailand(การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️

The agency that studied the design for the East-West rail network connection.

Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking(คณะกรรมการร่วมภาคเอกชน 3 สถาบัน)

The private sector group proposing the acceleration of the East-West rail network.

Place

Chumphon(ชุมพร)ℹ️

Location of the station that serves as a starting point for the connection to Ranong.

Ranong(ระนอง)ℹ️

Location of the port intended for the railway connection from Chumphon.

Policy

Landbridge(แลนด์บริดจ์)ℹ️

A government plan that previously delayed the progress of the Chumphon-Ranong railway project.