The MRTA board approved a budget of over 58.7 million baht for fiscal year 2027 to construct a skywalk connecting Hua Mak station (Yellow Line and Airport Link), along with a pedestrian walkway connecting Lak Si station (Pink Line and Red Line). The proposal will be submitted to the new Cabinet for consideration. Construction is expected to take one year, aiming to improve convenience and safety. The board also instructed discussions with the Ministry of Transport to negotiate with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) for exemptions from land rental and construction supervision fees.
The “Transportation Innovation Team” of Daily News (Thailand) reported that the board meeting of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) approved a resolution for the MRTA to request budget allocation for fiscal year 2027 to fund the construction of a connecting walkway at the interchange station between the Yellow Line (Lat Phrao–Samrong section) and the Pink Line (Khae Rai–Min Buri section).
The total budget amounts to 58.74 million baht, aimed at enhancing convenience and safety for public travel. This follows a decision in late 2024, when the Traffic Policy Committee of Thailand assigned the MRTA to carry out the project.
The reason for the delay in proceeding with this matter is due to legal constraints. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is unable to use its own revenue to carry out the project because the land used for constructing the Yellow Line connecting walkway belongs to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), while the Red Line area is under the responsibility of the Department of Highways (Thailand) (DOH). These areas are not under MRTA’s jurisdiction.
In addition, the construction work arose after the completion of the Yellow Line and Pink Line projects. Going forward, the MRTA will submit the matter to the Ministry of Transport (Thailand) and the new Cabinet of Thailand for consideration. If approved, construction will proceed, with an estimated construction period of about one year.
If the Cabinet of Thailand approves the proposal and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) receives the allocated budget, construction will be expedited.
However, the MRTA board has instructed the authority to consult with the Ministry of Transport (Thailand) to negotiate a waiver of land rental fees and construction supervision fees payable to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). This is because the connecting walkway is a public facility jointly used to link the MRTA’s Yellow Line with the Airport Rail Link (Thailand) operated by the SRT.
In addition, the SRT will be responsible for the maintenance of the facility.
The report further states that the construction of the Yellow Line connecting walkway has a total budget of 49.25 million baht. This includes:
- The construction of an elevated pedestrian bridge (skywalk) connecting the Yellow Line’s Hua Mak Station with the Hua Mak Station of the Airport Rail Link (Thailand). The skywalk will be 4.25 meters wide and 51 meters long, and will be equipped with facilities such as passenger elevators, stairways, lighting systems, and CCTV cameras.
The walkway will connect to Entrance/Exit 1 of the Yellow Line’s Hua Mak Station, crossing over the Eastern Railway Line, and link to the existing covered walkway of the Airport Rail Link’s Hua Mak Station.
- The construction of a ground-level covered walkway connecting the Yellow Line’s Hua Mak Station with the Hua Mak Station on the Eastern long-distance railway line. The walkway will link to Entrance/Exit 4 of the Yellow Line’s Hua Mak Station, using the existing sidewalk width, which is approximately 1.6–1.8 meters, with a length of about 150 meters.
The construction will take place on land under the responsibility of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
As for the construction of the connecting walkway for the Pink Line, the total budget is 9.49 million baht. The project involves building a ground-level covered walkway connecting the Pink Line with the Red Line suburban electric railway at Lak Si Station.
The construction will take place on land under the responsibility of the Department of Highways (Thailand). The connecting walkway will be 2.50 meters wide, covered with a roof, and approximately 57 meters long. It will be equipped with facilities such as lighting systems, CCTV systems, and other related components.
Once completed, the project will enhance the efficiency of transfers between mass transit systems in the area, making travel more convenient and safer for the public.
[Original article “บอร์ด รฟม.” เคาะของบฯ 58.7 ล้าน สร้างทางเดินเชื่อมสถานีหัวหมาก/สถานีหลักสี่ at dailynews.co.th. Translation by ChatGPT.]
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