The Ministry of Transport confirmed that it will stick to its original planned route for the new MRT Orange Line, despite requests from residents to change it in order to avoid the eviction of 184 households.
The new line will run from Talingchan to Minburi and cross Din Daeng, Prachasongkroh and Thailand Cultural Centre.
The request was to change the route to RamaIX line, but transport officials claimed this would cause even more problems and displace residents in Rama IX too.
Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula added that residents of Prachasongkroh community were notified about a decade ago and that the original plan would help ease traffic problem better than the proposed new route.
He also assured affected resident that the ministry will find new homes for the evicted households.
The Orange Line will have divided 29 stations spread across three sections: Taling Chan to Thailand Cultural Center (17.5 kilometers), Thailand Cultural Centre to Bang Kapi (9 kilometers) and Bang Kapi to Min Buri (11 kilometers).
The project is already two years behind schedule due to the residents’ protests and country’s political unrest, Thai PBS reported. But it is expected to be completed in 2020, according to Thairath.
Check out this impressive transportation grid of 2029 Bangkok to see where the Orange Line will be.
Photo: Oran Viriyincy
