BANGKOK, June 18 (TNA) – Thailand’s first self-driving vehicle, Bombardier Innovia Automated People Mover (APM) 300 arrived at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi on Thursday and will be launched for the Gold Line project, a new people mover line in Bangkok’s Thonburi in October.
The delivery of the driverless APM system from China was postponed from April due to the Covid-19 situation. Two more APM trains will be delivered in August.
Manit Techa-apichoke, President of the Krungthep Thanakom Co., Ltd. an enterprise under the supervision of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said the first phase of the 1.8-km route comprise three stations – Krung Thonburi, Charoen Nakorn and Klong San and the overall construction work is now 89 per cent complete.
The fare will be 15 baht for the whole route and it is expected to serve 42,260 passenger trips per day in the first year of the operation. Each train has two carriages with a capacity of 138 passengers each.
Sumit Srisantithum, Chief Operating Officer, Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited said the company was hired to procure APM trains and to run the operation system and maintenance work for 30 years.
The new Gold Line APM route will run pass key tourist attractions along the Chao Phraya River such as Iconsiam shopping center and Lhong 1919.
Bombardier Innovia APM 300 is a new-generation automatic people mover (APM). The driverless rubber-tired APM reduces noise and vibration levels. It runs at a maximum speed of 80 km/h. (TNA)
