Getting to know the MRT Orange Line train
The MRT Orange Line Project (Bang Khun Non - Thailand Cultural Center - Min Buri), or Metropolitan Rapid Transit Orange Line, is one of the Mass Rapid Transit Master Plans in Bangkok Metropolitan Region (M-MAP), with a route that supports travel within the city, along the east-west range of Bangkok. The service is divided into two parts: the Western Route, Bang Khun Non - Thailand Cultural Center, and the Eastern Route, Thailand Cultural Center - Bang Kapi - Min Buri.
The Thailand Cultural Center - Min Buri (Suwinthawong) project, the eastern half, is operated by a heavy rail transit system with a total distance of 22.57 kilometers. The operating route of the MRT Orange Line consists of 10 underground stations and seven elevated stations, with the following route lines:
As of December 2022, the progress of construction on the MRT Orange Line Project was at 98.65%. The basic reference fare was planned to start at 17 baht, with a maximum fare of 62 baht, for 12 stations or more. However, the Ministry of Transport has a policy to help people shrink the cost of living, so it may reduce the fare range to 15-45 baht, an average of 2.5 baht/stop.
In the western half of the Orange Line, the Bang Khun Non - Thailand Cultural Center section consists of a total distance of 13.49 kilometers, with an entire underground runway structure, and has 11 underground stations, as follows:
Currently, the Western Section of the Orange Line is in the process of drafting a joint venture agreement with the private sector prior to the construction, and it is expected to be completed and open for service in 2027.