The Bang Sue-Rangsit Red Line will be the prototype for the government's ambitious train system development plan, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Saturday.
Speaking on her "Yingluck Government Meets the People" weekly programme on NBT, Ms Yingluck said rail system development was part of the government's plan for a major infrastructure overhaul.
Upgraded tracks and high-speed train routes are part of a megaproject plan costing 2 trillion baht, for which the government is about to seek borrowing approval in the House of Representatives.
Ms Yingluck said the government intended to rapidly upgrade the services of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) with an aim to improving the quality of life of passengers in the long term.
Rail service disruptions due to poor maintenance are frequent in Thailand. Some tracks have not been repaired in 30 years and the rolling stock is equally dilapidated. The SRT has accumulated debts of 100 billion baht and loses more money every year because the government requires it to keep fares artificially low.
The government has not yet made clear who will run the high-speed rail system if and when it is built.
In her remarks on Saturday, however, the prime minister painted a bright future for the rail system as a contributor to economic development.
For example, she said, One Tambon, One Product goods could be offered for sale at train stations, some of which would be expanded to accommodate retail space, to generate income for local communities.