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Gold Line
สายสีทอง
Bombardier Innovia APM 300 vehicle at Krung Thonburi station in 2021
Overview
StatusOperating
Owner Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Locale Bangkok, Thailand
Termini
Stations3
Service
Type People mover ( AGT)
Operator(s) Krungthep Thanakom Company Limited
Bangkok Mass Transit System
Rolling stockBombardier Innovia APM 300
History
Opened16 December 2020; 3 years ago (2020-12-16)
Technical
Line length1.8 kilometers (1.1 mi) (est.)
Number of tracks2
CharacterElevated
Electrification 750 V DC  third rail
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Signalling Bombardier CITYFLO 650 moving block CBTC ATC under ATO GoA 3 (DTO), with subsystems of ATP, ATS and CBI [1]
Route map

Khlong San
Charoen Nakhon
Krung Thon Buri
  BTS 

The Gold Line is an automated people mover line, part of Bangkok's rapid transit system. The line is 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long, consisting of 3 stations, [2] and was opened by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 16 December 2020. [3] It primarily serves as a feeder line between the BTS Silom line and Iconsiam shopping center. The line will be extended 1 km (0.62 mi) along Somdet Chao Phraya road to connect with the future MRT Purple Line southern extension. When completed, it will connect Krung Thon Buri BTS station with Prajadhipok Road in Thon Buri District for a total distance of 2.68 km (1.67 mi).

The Gold Line is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTSC) under a 30-year contract. The BTSC also operates the BTS Skytrain. A flat fare of 15 baht is charged. Tickets can only be purchased for stations within the line. [4]

History

The line was not part of the current M-Map Master Plan as the line was proposed by the owners of Iconsiam mall in July 2015 to provide a feeder service to Iconsiam. [5] [6] The project was approved by the Thai Cabinet in September 2016 with an initial planned opening of late 2018. [7] Preliminary works began in June 2018 with major construction commencing in September 2018.

Design and development of the line was the responsibility of Krungthep Thanakom PCL, an enterprise of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. [8] The project budget of 3.8 billion Thai baht was fully funded by the proponent of the project, shopping mall company Siam Piwat who has responsibility for all construction costs. [9] All advertising revenue and operating profits will be collected by Siam Piwat Company during the 30 year concession period.

At the end of August 2020, overall work for the Gold Line was 95% complete. [10] The line was due to open on 1 October 2020 [11] and initial test runs began on 11 September. [12] However, further test runs revealed that additional tests would be required of the signaling and operational systems before full operations could start. [13] The President of the BTSC stated that a further two months of tests were required and that the line would not open until December 2020. [14] In early December, an opening date of 16 December 2020 was announced. [15] Upon opening, a one-month free travel period was in effect until 15 January 2021. [16]

Route

Khlong San station platform
The railway of the Gold Line at front of Wat Suwan Temple

The Gold Line starts adjacent to Krung Thon Buri BTS station running 500 m (1,600 ft) east to Charoen Nakhon road, where it then runs north for 1.3 km (0.81 mi) past Iconsiam. It will initially terminate at Klong San station near Lat Ya road intersection and provide an interchange with the future SRT Dark Red Line southern extension.

Future 1 km extension

The line will then be further extended 1 km (0.62 mi) west along Somdet Chao Phraya road and terminate at Phrajahipok road to connect with the future MRT Purple Line southern extension, which is scheduled to open in 2027. The 1 km (0.62 mi) extension was originally planned to open in 2023, but will now open in later years.

Services

Gold Line trains operate from 06:00 to 00:00 with a frequency range of six to twelve-minute intervals. [17] During the free fare period for the first month of operations in January 2021, the line was averaging between 5000 and 6000 daily passengers with 3000 using Iconsiam station. [18]

Rolling stock

The Gold Line uses Bombardier Innovia APM 300 automated people movers with rubber tyres manufactured by CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems (joint venture of Bombardier Transportation and CRRC Nanjing Puzhen) in Wuhu, Anhui, China. Innovia APMs are commonly used at airports to transport passengers between terminals. Each set has two carriages with 138 passenger capacity in each carriage, and can travel at a maximum of 80 km/h (50 mph). [19] The first set was due to be delivered in April 2020, but was delayed due to a COVID-19 related lockdown in Anhui province. [20]

The first set later arrived in Thailand on 18 June 2020, the remaining 2 sets were delivered in August 2020. [11]

Stations

Code Station Name Interchange Station External Appearance Station Plan
English Thai
Krung Thon Buri กรุงธนบุรี   BTS 
Charoen Nakhon เจริญนคร
Khlong San คลองสาน

Line map


Network map

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bombardier Projects in Mass-transit signalling" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-11-23.
  2. ^ "Company's Profile". www.bts.co.th. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  3. ^ "BTS Green Line extension, BMA Gold Line now officially open". The Nation. 16 December 2020.
  4. ^ "B15 fare for Gold Line from Saturday". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  5. ^ "New BTS Gold Line along Chao Phraya River expected in 2017". Coconuts Bangkok. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  6. ^ "สายสีทองกําหนดเปิด สิงหาคม 2563". 28 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Gold Line monorail gets cabinet green light". Bangkok Post. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  8. ^ "Cabinet approves Bt3.8bn Gold Line monorail". The Nation. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  9. ^ Gluckman, Ron (April 2016). "The Queen of Siam: Chadatip Chutrakul Aims To Energize A District In Bangkok". Forbes Asia.
  10. ^ "รถไฟฟ้าสายสีทอง" เลื่อนเปิดบริการ เป็นกลางเดือน ธ.ค. นี้". Thansettakij. 31 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Gold line set for October opening". Bangkok Post. 18 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Gold Line monorail set to roll out in October after successful test run". The Nation. 12 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Gold Line monorail service postponed to year-end". The Nation. 17 September 2020.
  14. ^ "รถไฟฟ้าสายสีทอง" เลื่อนเปิดบริการ เป็นกลางเดือน ธ.ค. นี้". Prachachat. 16 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Gold Line to open Wednesday". Bangkok Post. 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  16. ^ "นายกฯกดปุ่มเดินรถไฟฟ้าสีเขียว-สีทองนั่งฟรีถึง". Thaipost. 16 December 2020.
  17. ^ "BTS Timetable".
  18. ^ "ให้นั่งฟรีอีก 1 เดือน ตัดปัญหารถไฟฟ้าสายสีเขียว". Prachachat. 8 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Gold Line set for October opening". Bangkok Post. 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  20. ^ "Monorail ushers in hope". Bangkok Post. 7 June 2020.

External links