If the cabinet approves a plan for construction of the Purple Line mass transit system after Songkran (as they are expected to do), Bangkokians can expect the new rail service to become operational sometime in 2016.
The Purple Line, which will run from Bang Sue to Bang Yai in Nonthaburi, has experienced a tortuous path towards completion. An original timeline for construction of the rail system was scrapped in 2011, owing to that year’s flooding. The incident pushed back the Purple Line’s debut date two years, from 2014 to 2016.
Once completed, the Purple Line will allow 100,000 new passengers to access Bangkok’s public, rail transport system.
Bangkok Metro Plc. (BMCL) was awarded the contract for construction of the purple line before the 2011 floods. The Bangkok Post reports that the company has a 30-year contract for the route, which includes the provision of electrical and mechanical maintenance.
