The Metropolitan Rapid Transit or MRT is a medium-capacity rapid transit system serving the Bangkok Metropolitan Region in Thailand. The MRT system comprises two fully operational rapid transit lines (Blue and Purple) and two fully operational monorail lines (Yellow and Pink), with another rapid transit line (Orange) under construction. The MRT Blue Line, officially the Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line, between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue was the first to open in July 2004 as Bangkok's second metro system. The MRT Blue line is officially known in Thai as rotfaifa mahanakhon (รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร) or "metropolitan SkyTrain", but it is more commonly called rotfai taidin (รถไฟใต้ดิน), literally, "underground train" as it was distinguished from the BTS Skytrain by being completely underground when its first section between Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue opened.
The second MRT line MRT Purple Line, officially the Chalong Ratchadham Line, opened on 6 August 2016 and connected Tao Poon with Khlong Bang Phai in Nonthaburi in the northwest of Greater Bangkok. It was the first mass transit line to extend outside Bangkok.
Both the Blue Line and Purple Line are operated by the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) under a concession granted by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), which is the owner of the MRT lines. Along with the BTS Skytrain and the Airport Rail Link, the MRT is part of Bangkok's rail transportation infrastructure. The BEM-operated MRT lines have 526,000 passengers each day as of August 2024 (Blue Line 453,000 and Purple Line 73,000) with 54 operational stations and a combined route length of . Construction began in mid-2011 to extend the MRT Blue Line, after completion in April 2020, the Blue Line has become a quasi loop line (providing interchange with itself at Tha Phra) around the centre of Bangkok.
The MRT Yellow Line monorail, officially the Nakkhara Phiphat Line, opened for trial operation in June 2023 and was fully opened on 3 July 2023. The MRT Pink Line monorail opened for public trial operation in November 2023, and was fully opened on 1 February 2024. The Yellow and Pink Lines are operated by subsidiaries of BTSC, who also operate the BTS Skytrain rather than BEM.
Other MRT lines are planned for the future MRT system with the MRT Orange Line and the southern extension of the MRT Purple Line from Tao Poon to Rat Burana are under construction. The MRT Brown Line is also planned.
History
thumb|left|The entrance to [[Huai Khwang MRT station ]]
left|thumb|[[Platform screen doors are installed at all stations]]
left|thumb|Interior of a Blue Line Siemens Modular Metro
thumbnail|right|Blue Line map in 2016
thumbnail|right|Purple Line map
The MRT was constructed under a concession framework. For the first MRT line, officially known as Chaloem Ratchamongkhon or informally as the "Blue Line", civil infrastructure was provided by the government sector, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), and handed over to their concessionaire under a 25-year concession agreement. Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) was the only private sector company that won a bid in MRTA's concession contract for the blue line. As MRTA's concessionaire, BEM provides M&E equipment, including electrical trains, signalling systems, SCADA, communication, PSD, etc. for the subway project and fully operates the system. To maintain the system, BEM has subcontracted in 10 years to Siemens, which was the M&E system supplier since system opening and 7 years maintenance contract to two local maintenance services for north and south line.
The construction of the first Bangkok Metro line, officially known as Chaloem Ratchamongkhon (Thai สายเฉลิมรัชมงคล) – "Celebration of Royal Auspice" – or informally as the "Blue Line", began on 19 November 1996. The project suffered multiple delays not only because of the 1997 economic crisis, but also due to challenging civil engineering works of constructing massive underground structures deep in the water-logged soil upon which the city is built.
The Blue Line was opened for a limited public trial period of several weeks starting on 13 April 2004. On 3 July 2004 the line was officially opened at 19:19 local time by HM King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, who were accompanied by other members of the royal family. Within 30 minutes of its opening, sightseers filled the system to its maximum capacity, but after the initial rush ridership has settled down to around 180,000 riders daily — considerably lower than projections of over 400,000, despite fares being slashed in half from 12 to 38 baht to 10-15 baht per trip. From 2006 until 2008, fares ranged between 14 and 36 baht per trip. The fare was raised to 16-41 Baht on 1 January 2009. Daily ridership in 2014 was 253,000.
In August 2016, the Purple Line opened for service. In August 2017, the MRT Blue Line was extended to Tao Poon station allowing interchange with the Purple Lines.
Operation
thumb|Sign indicating prohibitions in the MRT system
Bangkok, a city situated on a low-lying plain, is susceptible to flooding. Consequently, the entrances to MRT stations in the city are constructed approximately one meter above ground level and are equipped with integrated floodgates to prevent water from entering the system. All stations are accessible, featuring elevators and ramps to accommodate all passengers. Additionally, stations typically have multiple exits, usually four, with some offering interchanges to other transit systems like the BTS Skytrain, Airport Rail Link, and commuter rail services. The passageways connecting these exits are spacious, with some even evolving into shopping areas. Within the stations, maps are displayed to guide passengers, showing local area details and exit locations.
As a safety measure, platform screen doors have been installed at stations. Uniformed security personnel and security cameras are stationed at all platforms to ensure passenger safety. The metro system operates 19 three-car metro trains, specifically of the Siemens Modular Metro type, consisting of two motor cars and a central trailer car.
In an effort to utilize renewable energy, the Bangkok Expressway and Metro company has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement with CK Power. This agreement aims to supply the mass transit system with 452 million kWh of electricity, primarily sourced from solar energy.
Ticketing
thumb|Round black token
thumb|Bangkok MRT ticketing machine on an MRT station
The ticketing system for the Blue and Purple Lines uses RFID contactless technology with round tokens issued for single trips and a contactless stored value card, the MRT Plus card, for frequent travellers. It is planned that a joint ticketing system will be set up so that passengers can use a single ticket on the MRT as well as on the Skytrain. Multi-storey park & ride facilities are provided at Lat Phrao and Thailand Cultural Centre. Motorists who park their cars within station parking facilities are issued with additional contactless smartcards and they need to have them electronically stamped at their destination station.
Smart cards are available in two types:
- A rechargeable card for distance-based fares:
- for adults, at the same rate as single fares
- for students, not over 23 years old, at 10% discount
- for children/elderly, not over 14 old and height between , or not less than 60 old, each with 50% discount.
Children under 15 or whose height does not exceed 90 cm may ride for free. Reduced fares for older children and half price fares for the elderly also apply when buying a token at the booth.
From January 2022, MRT started accepting a new payment fare type for Blue Line and Purple Line via EMV contactless using credit, debit and prepaid cards.
The Yellow and Pink lines accept cash, EMV Contactless, and the Rabbit Card.
Current lines
The first line, the Blue Line, opened on 3 July 2004. It runs eastward from Tao Poon Station in Bang Sue District along Kamphaeng Phet, Phahon Yothin and Lat Phrao Roads, then turns south following Ratchadaphisek Road, then west following Rama IV Road to Hua Lamphong Station in Pathum Wan District. The second line, the Purple Line opened on 6 August 2016. The 1.2 km missing link of the Blue Line between Bang Sue and Tao Poon, connecting the two lines opened on 11 August 2017. The first section of the Blue Line extension from Hua Lamphong via Tha Phra to Lak Song opened for full operation on 29 September 2019. The Pink and Yellow Lines opened in 2023.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;font-align:center;text-align:center;font-size:80%;""
!Line Name
!Commencement
!Last extension
!Next extension
! colspan="2" |Terminus
!Length
(km)
!Stations
!Operator(s)
!Daily Ridership
(2024)
|-
! colspan="10" |Rapid Transit
|-
| style="background:#" |Blue Line (Bangkok)|
|
|
|<abbr title="To be announced">TBA</abbr>
|Tha Phra
|Lak Song
|
|38
| rowspan="2" |Bangkok Expressway and Metro
|424,397
|-
| style="background:#" |Purple Line (Bangkok)|
|
| —
|'
|Khlong Bang Phai
|Tao Poon
|
|16
|66,934
|-
! colspan="10" |Monorail
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background:#" |Pink Line (Bangkok)|
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | '
| rowspan="2" |—
|Nonthaburi Civic Centre
|Min Buri
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |32
| rowspan="3" |Bangkok Mass Transit System
| rowspan="2" |53,679
|-
|Muang Thong Thani
|Lake Muang Thong Thani
|-
| style="background:#" |Yellow Line (Bangkok)|
|
|
| —
|Lat Phrao
|Samrong
|
|23
|37,443
|-
! colspan="6" |Total
|
|107
!
|582,453
|}
MRT Blue Line
thumb|right|First generation of [[MRT Blue Line|Blue Line rolling stock]]
The MRT Blue Line In June 2012, the MRTA contracted consultants to undertake detailed designs of the Yellow Line. In February 2013, OTP stated that the tender for the Yellow line should be ready by late 2013 for tender in early 2014. However, similar to the Pink Line, delays in finalising the technical requirements of the tender in relation to the selection of monorail rolling stock, which determines the type of track to be constructed resulted in a significant delay. The subsequent political turmoil of 2014 caused further delay. Thereafter, the coup of May 2014 resulted in a new military administration and the tender being deferred for 2014.
The MRTA tender was subsequently not released until mid-2016. In early December 2016, BSR Joint Venture (comprising BTS Group Holdings, which owns 75%, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction – STEC, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding – RATCH), won the bid for the project. The BSR also won the bid the Pink Line project. On 16 June 2017, a contract was signed for the Lat Phrao-Samrong section with the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand by a consortium including BTS Group Holdings, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding. Construction of the MRT Yellow Line began in March 2018, and free trial operations began from Hua Mak station to Samrong BTS Station in June 2023. Full operations began on July 3, 2023.
MRT Pink Line
thumb|[[Innovia Monorail|Innovia Monorail 300 rolling stock used on the Pink Line, at Royal Irrigation Department Station]]The 35.5 km long MRT Pink line has 30 stations and is a monorail line. It runs in the northern part of the city from east Bangkok in Minburi District (also transfers to MRT Orange Line) along Ram Inthra Road to west Bangkok (Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi Province) Chaeng Watthana Road and Tiwanon Road ending at Nonthaburi Civic Center with interchange to the MRT Purple Line.
The line also transfers with the SRT Dark Red Line, the BTS Sukhumvit Line extension to Lam Lukka, and the BMA Proposed MRT Grey Line in the future.
The Pink line was due to be tendered in the 3rd quarter of 2013 with construction due to commence in early 2014. However, delays in preparation of the tender in relation to the selection of monorail rolling stock and subsequent political protests resulting in a snap national election in early February 2014, further delayed the Pink Line tender. A subsequent coup in May 2014 resulted in a new military administration and the tender being deferred for 2014. The MRTA tender was subsequently not released until mid-2016.
In early December 2016, BSR Joint Venture (comprising BTS Group Holdings, which owns 75%, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction – STEC, and Ratchaburi Electricity Generation Holding – RATCH), won the bid. The BSR also won the bid for the Yellow Line project. Construction of the MRT Pink Line began in late 2017. The line opened for trial operation in November 2023 and is due to be fully operational by December 2023.
Future plans
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;font-align:center;text-align:center;font-size:80%;""
!Line Name
!Planned Opening Date
! colspan="2" |Terminus
!Length
(km)
!Stations
!Status
|-
! colspan="6" |Rapid Transit
!
|-
| style="background:#" |Blue Line (Bangkok)|
|<abbr title="To be announced">TBA</abbr>
|Lak Song
|Phutthamonthon Sai 4
|
|4
|Postponed
|-
| style="background:#" |Purple Line (Bangkok)|
|
|Khlong Bang Phai
|Tao Poon
|
|17
| rowspan="3" |Under construction
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background:# |Orange Line (Bangkok)|
|
|Thailand Cultural Centre
|Yaek Rom Klao
|
|17
|-
|
|Bang Khun Non
|Thailand Cultural Centre
|
|11
|-
|<abbr title="To be announced">TBA</abbr>
|Taling Chan
|Bang Khun Non
|
|1
|Approved
|-
| style="background:#" |Bangna-Suvarnabhumi Line|
|<abbr title="To be announced">TBA</abbr>
|Bangna
|Suvarnabhumi Airport-South Terminal
|
|14
|Transferred from BMA
|-
! colspan="6" |Monorail
!
|-
|style="background:#|Brown Line (Bangkok)|
| rowspan="5" |<abbr title="To be announced">TBA</abbr>
|Nonthaburi Civic Centre
|Yaek Lam Sali
|
|20
|Approved
|-
| style="background:#" |Yellow Line (Bangkok)|
|Lat Phrao
|Ratchayothin
|
|2
|Shelved
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background:#" |Grey Line (Bangkok)|
|Khlong Si
|Thong Lo
|
|20
|rowspan="3"|Transferred from BMA
|-
|Phra Khanong
|Tha Phra
|
|24
|-
| style="background:#" |Light Blue Line (Bangkok)|
|Prachasongkhro
|Chong Nonsi
|
|9
|-
! colspan="4" |Total
|
|135
!
|}
On 25 July 2017, the Cabinet approved the 101 billion baht budget and tender for the extension but the tender was delayed until 2018 due to land acquisition issues. There was a further delay to an early 2019 date as the tender was changed to a PPP tender. However, a subsequent delay in finalising the PPP process resulted in a new tender date of April 2020 but this has been further delayed with an expected tender by the end of 2020. The Phase 2 Western section extension from Thailand Cultural Centre to Bang Khun Non was released for tender on 3 July 2020 as a Public-Private Partnership project.
When fully completed, the line will be 35.9-km long, mostly underground, with 29 stations (7 elevated stations for 8.9 km and other 22 underground stations for 27 km).
MRT Brown Line
The 22.1 km long Brown line is under study by the OTP. It is proposed to run from Khae Rai, Nonthaburi to Bueng Kum with 20 stations and be a monorail line.
The line was originally proposed as the Gold Line by the Pheu Thai party for the Bangkok Governors election held in March 2013. This was in response to objections by Kasetsart University to long proposed Expressway extensions in the area. The line would essentially have replaced the need to build an elevated Expressway. However, the Pheu Thai candidate did not win the Bangkok Governor election and the Gold Line was dropped with the Deputy Minister of Transport stating that land appropriation costs were too high. Subsequently, OTP has reworked the Gold Line proposal into a new Brown Line following much the same route. As of June 2013, the route was under preliminary study by OTP. Public hearings on the Brown line were held in 2017. The MOT announced that a 14-month feasibility study into the line would be completed in 2018. By August 2018, OTP had completed the feasibility study and conducted public hearings. Although, there was much public support for building the MRT Brown line, public opposition to the N2 expressway remained high. OTP intends to submit the project for Cabinet approval by the end of October 2018. In early June 2019, the MRTA Board approved the investment plan for the Brown Line and integrated design with the N2 Expressway conducted by EXAT. This accident caused damage to both trainsets, with heavily damaged areas limited to the two cars that collided. From the extent of the damage, investigators estimated the collision speed to be around 60 km/h. However, one train, which was rebuilt from the repair of the minor-damaged cars, was already fitted for operation at the end of 2006 and the remaining one was still under heavy repair until mid of 2007; it was released into service in October 2007. The cost resulting from the accident might be a much higher figure than BMCL quoted, and it was expected to be at least 400 million baht, which was totally insured by a local insurance company.
The Metro resumed full operation on 1 February 2005, and passenger numbers soon rose back to pre-crash levels, partly due to a temporary promotional fare scheme that allowed passengers to travel any distance on the MRT for only ten baht (~US$0.33).
Ridership
The first few years of operations saw less than forecast ridership, but pax numbers grew gradually over time. After the opening of the Tao Poon interchange station between Blue Line and Purple Line in mid-August 2017, ridership immediately increased especially on the Purple Line. In September 2017, BEM stated that average daily ridership of the Blue Line had increased from 340,000 to 360,000 after the opening. The Purple line ridership significantly increased from 33,000 to nearly 50,000. In August 2018, the MRTA Deputy Governor stated that daily ridership for the Purple Line had increased to 60,000 each weekday. After the opening of the Blue Line extension to Lak Song on 29 September 2019, daily ridership increased to 400,000 for the Blue line and 70,000 for the Purple line. Ridership decreased significantly during the outbreak of coronavirus in Thailand.
Ridership statistics
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Annual ridership (all lines)
|-
!Year
!Total ridership
!Average daily ridership
|-
|2011
|69,024,000
|189,083
|-
|2012
|80,575,000
|220,167
|-
|2013
|86,427,000
|236,833
|-
|2014
|92,403,000
|253,417
|-
|2015
|95,044,000
|260,500
|-
|2016
|100,106,000
|273,583
|-
|2017
|107,484,000
|294,476
|-
|2018
|113,355,000
|310,561
|-
|2019
|122,559,000
|335,778
|-
|2020
|94,942,000
|259,404
|-
|2021
|53,319,000
|146,079
|-
|2022
|98,577,000
|270,073
|}
Stations
{| class="wikitable"
|+Busiest stations (all lines)
!No.
!Station
!Line
!Year total passengers (2021)
|-
|1
|Sukhumvit
|Blue
|9,627,729
|-
|2
|Chatuchak Park
|Blue
|6,865,636
|-
|3
|Phra Ram 9
|Blue
|6,855,613
|-
|4
|Phetchaburi
|Blue
|6,791,555
|-
|5
|Si Lom
|Blue
|5,333,875
|-
|6
|Huai Khwang
|Blue
|4,981,804
|-
|7
|Phahon Yothin
|Blue
|4,241,269
|-
|8
|Thailand Cultural Centre
|Blue
|4,103,960
|-
|9
|Lak Song
|Blue
|3,989,684
|-
|10
|Lat Phrao
|Blue
|3,779,865
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Least-used stations (all lines)
!No.
!Station
!Line
!Year total passengers (2021)