Yellow Line (Bangkok)

MRT Yellow Line สายสีเหลือง
A Bombardier Innovia Monorail 300 at Bang Kapi station
Overview
Other name(s)	MRT Nakkara Phiphat Line
Native name	รถไฟฟ้าสายสีเหลือง รถไฟฟ้าสายนัคราพิพัฒน์
Status	Operational
Owner	Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand
Locale	Bangkok and Samut Prakan, Thailand
Termini	YL 01  Lat Phrao  YL 23  Samrong
Stations	23
Website	https://mrta-yellowline.com
Service
Type	Monorail
System	Metropolitan Rapid Transit
Operator(s)	Eastern Bangkok Monorail Company Limited (Subsidiary of BSR Consortium)
Depot(s)	Si Iam Depot
Rolling stock	Alstom Innovia Monorail 300 28 four-cars trains
Daily ridership	48,035 (30 August 2024)[1]
History
Opened	3 July 2023; 16 months ago (2023-07-03)
Technical
Line length	28.62 kilometers (17.78 mi)
Character	Fully elevated
Electrification	750 V DC
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Signalling	Bombardier CITYFLO 650 moving block CBTC ATC under ATO GoA 4 (Fully Automated Train Control), with subsystems of ATP, ATS and CBI[2]
Route map Legend Blue Line Lat Phrao  MRT  Blue Line Phawana Chok Chai 4 Lat Phrao 71 Lat Phrao 83 Mahat Thai Lat Phrao 101 Bang Kapi Yaek Lam Sali  MRT  Orange Line Si Kritha Hua Mak ARL SRT Airport Rail Link Light Red Line Kalantan Si Nut Srinagarindra 38 Suan Luang Rama IX Si Udom Debaratana-Si Iam Maintenance Center Si Iam Si La Salle Si Bearing Si Dan Si Thepha Thipphawan Samrong  BTS  Sukhumvit line This diagram: view talk edit

The MRT Yellow Line (Thai: รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร สายสีเหลือง) or MRT Nakkhara Phiphat Line (Thai: รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร สายนัคราพิพัฒน์) is an elevated monorail line in Bangkok and Samut Prakan Province, Thailand, part of the MRT rapid transit system. The 28.62 km (17.78 mi) line has 23 stations and cost 55 billion baht.^[3] The line was originally proposed in 2005 by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning to be a heavy rail underground line along Lat Phrao road which was then elevated from Lam Sali Intersection to Samrong. However, it was decided in 2012 to build an elevated monorail line for the whole length in order to reduce construction costs.

The Yellow Line provides mass transit along the heavily congested Lat Phrao Road and Srinagarindra Road corridors. The line links 6 other lines; the MRT Blue Line, interchange with the MRT Orange Line (which is under construction), the planned MRT Grey Line and MRT Brown Line, the Airport Rail Link (Bangkok) and finally the BTS Sukhumvit Line. As such, it is an important cross city link in the middle north-eastern and eastern areas of Bangkok.

Preliminary site works began in late 2017 with major construction work starting from March 2018. In October 2020, the BSR stated that they plan to open the first section of the Yellow Line by October 2021 with initial operations running from Samrong to Si Iam.^[4] The line was then planned to fully open in July 2022.^[5] However, due to COVID-19 outbreaks in Bangkok delaying construction with sites closed, the BSR stated that the first section of the line would not open until July 2022.^[6] On 29 November 2021, daily testing began on a 6 km (3.7 mi) section of the line between the depot at Si Iam and Srinagarindra 38 station. Testing was expanded after a 3-month period.^[6]

In mid-April 2022, the Director of EBM/BSR, Mr Surapong Laoha-Unya, stated that further labour & installation delays would mean that the line would now not open until September 2022.^[7] Construction had progressed to 99.02% as of the end of April 2023.^[8]

After repeated delays, the line partially opened to the public for free trial rides on 3 June 2023 from Hua Mak to Samrong,^[9] having done a private trial ride between Kalantan and Samrong for the press the day before. Trial rides for Phawana to Hua Mak section began on 12 June,^[10] while the final section between Phawana and Lat Phrao station opened on 19 June.^[11][12]

Rabbit Card or EMV credit cards are accepted on the MRT Yellow Line, although pricing is yet to be determined.^[12]