The Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region, or M-Map, is the latest version in a series of Thai government plans for the development of an urban rail transit network serving the Greater Bangkok area. It was drafted under the care of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) of the Ministry of Transport.

Timeline

History

Lavalin Skytrain

Lavalin Skytrain Project is the earliest mass rapid transit plan of Bangkok to solve the traffic congestion in Bangkok during 1970s. The project feasibility study was conducted by Thai Government with the association from West Germany Government in 1971 which led to establishment of Expressway Authority of Thailand under Clause 39 of the Announcement of the Revolutionary Council Decree 290 dated 27 November 1972 (B.E.2515) to responsible for planning and construction of expressway and mass rapid transit projects. In 1979, the master plan compiled by Japanese advisers would have consisted of the First Stage Urban Mass Transit Lines such as the first line known as the Rama IV line, a 25-km route between Phrakhanong and Mo Chit, while the second line, the Sathon line, a 20-km route would connect Wongwian Yai and Lad Phrao, and the third line, the Memorial Line, a 16-km route that connects Dao Khanong and Makkasan, and the expected numbers of passengers were expected to be 200,000 passengers a day in 1990. The rolling stock would have utilized six heavy rail cars running at 15 minutes per train for non-rush hour and four minutes during rush hour, compared with current trains running at 6–8 minutes per train during non-rush hour and 3–5 minutes per train during rush hour, using three heavy rail cars. The project was meant to have a cost of $1100 million. The finalised version of the project consisted of three light rail transit lines which are Sathorn Line, Rama IV Line, and Saphan Phut Line, with the depot located in Huai Khwang district (current location of Phra Ram 9 depot of MRT Blue Line). The project was expected to begin in 1981 and be completed in 1986. However, due to the 1979 oil crisis, Lavalin Skytrain project was shelved as the estimated costs were doubled. The project was revised under the government of General Prem Tinsulanonda in 1984 and entered the bidding process with three participating companies being Asia-Euro Consortium (comprising AEG, Siemens, MAN, and Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi), SNC-Lavalin, and Franco-Japanese Consortium. The project was awarded to SNC-Lavalin, and the contracts for a 30-year operating concession and construction were signed in May 1990 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. However, after two years of construction, In June 1992, The project was terminated by the government of Anand Panyarachun. The government stated that SNC-Lavalin failed to sign a shareholders agreement by a specified and the Thai government refused requests for overseas loan and investment guarantees. Outside of Thailand, numerous international media sources suggested politics played in its demise. Today, There are two remainings from the construction of Lavalin Skytrain project: the abandoned viaduct in the middle of Phra Pok Klao Bridge (now converted into Chao Phraya Skypark), and a reserved space in the middle of Sathorn Bridge (currently used by Silom Line).

Master Plan

The concept of developing a master plan began in 1972 when the Thai government sought cooperation from the German government to jointly develop a mass transit network. Subsequently, the Cabinet passed a resolution approving the continuous study, promotion, and support for the creation of the master plan starting from 1994. The sequences of the master plan are as follows:

1994: Mass Rapid Transit Systems Master Plan (MTMP)

The first version of the plan, endorsed by the Cabinet on 27 September 1994 and to be implemented from 1995 to 2011, consisted of an extension of 135 km to the three systems already in progress (,, and the BERTS), which would have had a combined length of 135 km The plan was divided into two phases as follows: Later, in 1996, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) revised this master plan and renamed it the Comprehensive Transport Master Plan (CTMP), which included an additional 178.9 km of routes. This revised master plan included monorail and light rapid transit lines to enhance Bangkok into a rail transportation metropolis. The plan consisted of 11 railway projects with a combined length of 206 km, as follows;

2000: Urban Rail Transportation Master Plan in Bangkok and Surrounding Areas (URMAP)

Following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the cancellation of the BERTS, in 1998, the Cabinet passed a resolution stating that the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) should conduct a feasibility study for a new master plan to replace the CTMP due to the development not progressing as planned and because Thailand was in the process of recovering from the economic crisis. The main objective of this new master plan is to emphasis the distribution of urban growth from the city centre to suburban areas, promoting more decentralised urban development along major roads. The new master plan has been adapted with several projects modifying routes from the CTMP, emphasising distribution to various areas as follows:

2004: Bangkok Mass Transit Master Plan (BMT)

This master plan is a conversion of the URMAP master plan into practical implementation based on government policies, which stipulate that projects in the previous master plan must be completed within 6 years (2004 – 2009). This period coincides with the recovery of the economy from the crisis in 1997. The master plan outlines a mass transit network in areas anticipated to experience continuous and increasing land use in the future. It specifies the construction of one railway station every 2 kilometres in the city areas and every 1 to 1.5 kilometres in suburban areas, aiming for the rapid transit project to be a guiding initiative for future urban development. This master plan consists of 7 rapid transit lines with an additional 291.2 km added to the existing 43.7 km. These lines are categorised into three groups as follows;

2006 Master plan

In 2006, the Cabinet revised the previous BMT master plan with the aim of expanding coverage to more areas in Bangkok. Three routes were added to this master plan, as follows:

2008: M-Map

In 2008, the government revised the master plan for the rapid transit network once again, focusing on urban expansion and increasing transit routes in suburban areas, taking into account the growing urbanisation projected for the future. This revision resulted in a total of 9 lines with a combined length of 311 km. The revised routes are as follows:

2010: M-Map Revision

In 2009, the government revised the M-Map, this time considering urban expansion and the distribution of development to suburban areas, guided by the rapid transit projects. This revised M-Map includes the study of a total of 12 transit lines, with a combined length of 509 km, consisting of 8 main lines and 4 feeder lines, as follows: This master plan has been implemented for the development of actual projects since 2011. Currently, over 70% of the plan has been completed. However, with the unsuitability of certain routes, the master plan has been revised. This revision includes cancellations, modifications, and suspensions of 5 routes as follows As a result, the rapid transit network in Bangkok and its surrounding areas now consists of 10 lines.

2024: M-Map 2

To accommodate the expansion of the city into the suburban areas, in March 2017, the Cabinet assigned the Ministry of Transport and the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) to study an additional 10 transit lines. These lines were to be included in the M-Map Phase 2. The study was to be conducted in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to plan and support the necessary budget for investment, should there be a need to secure foreign loans for the project. The second phase of the M-Map 2 focuses on developing feeder lines to support urban expansion and feed passengers into Bangkok's main transit routes, which include the, , , , , , and. Initially, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) considered incorporating routes that had not yet been implemented, were under study, were outside the master plan, or had been canceled from the previous master plan. Four pilot routes were identified. Additionally, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) proposed 8 new lines to be included in the master plan, resulting in a total of 11 initial routes. Subsequently, the OTP, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), revealed the details of the draft master plan for the M-Map 2, which was approved by JICA. This draft included 5 new lines totaling 131 km, both as extensions of existing lines and as new lines. However, due to changing circumstances, the Department of Rail Transport (the current status of the OTP) reconsidered the entire M-Map 2. They proposed a new long-term plan (Project Long List) consisting of 29 lines, which will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval as the actual master plan in the future. On July 25, 2023, the Department of Rail Transport officially announced the draft of the M-Map 2. This new master plan will be submitted to the Cabinet for official approval in 2024, with the goal of expediting the commencement of all projects within 20 years, by 2042. The master plan is divided into three main categories as follows

Overview

Current future plans

Rolling Stock and signalling

Rolling stock

Signalling

Overall map