Thailand’s Ministry of Transport is now eyeing to construct the country’s first “train-through-building” with the Red Line section between Hua Lamphong and Wongwian Yai sighted as the potential pilot project.
In a The Nation report, this ambitious plan sees trains passing directly the former Merry King Department Store, which may become a new distinct landmark in Bangkok.
Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport (DRT) Pichet Kunadhamraks revealed that the department’s study trip to the extensive rail network of Chongqing Municipality in China “had highlighted the innovative train running through building concept, exemplified by Liziba Station”.
This station on Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) Line 2 features side platforms with tracks and the station integrated within commercial and residential buildings. The development of such was due to the city’s dense population and limited land availability. In addition, the buildings accommodating the “through-building” railways are “not standard constructions but are specifically designed to support the rail infrastructure”.
The Ministry of Transport’s plan on the “train-through-building” development model has been under preliminary investigation. Potential buildings to fit the concept have already been identified along the Red Line between Hua Lamphong and Wongwian Yai. Potential route may include the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Education Office, which may pass through the fourth floor, and the former Merry King Department Store in Wongwian Yai on the sixth floor.