Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand or MRTA ( th, การรถไฟฟ้าขนส่งมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทย) is a

state enterprise A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...

under the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. It is responsible the operation of

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...

systems in the

Bangkok Metropolitan Region The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) ( th, กรุงเทพมหานครและปริมณฑล; ; ), may refer to a government-defined "political definition" of the urban region surrounding the metropolis of Bangkok, or the built ...

and including other provinces as defined by the royal decree. The MRTA was founded in 1992 and underwent restructuring in 2000. The MRTA oversees the operation of the BTS outside Bangkok areas and

MRT MRT may refer to: Transport Rapid Transit Systems * Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation) * MRT (Singapore) or Mass Rapid Transit, Singapore * MRT (Bangkok) or Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Thailand * Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Philippine ...

, which consists of the operational Blue Line and Purple Line. Other systems, including the

Airport Rail Link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while ...

, are owned and operated by other agencies.

History

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand was established in 1992 under the name Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority, under the Royal Decree Establishment of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority B.E. 2535, with the objective of organizing mass transportation systems in Bangkok and its vicinity by electric train. On 1 December 2000, under the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2543, the name was changed to Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand. Under the act, the MRTA has the authority to designate "safe zones" to protect subway tunnels and underground structures and oversee the metro system as a whole. In addition, the MRTA is able to find income other than passenger fares and can develop real estate as necessary for the benefit of the electric train service and has the authority to operate the electric train business. The transit system may expand to other provinces as the royal decree authorizes.

References

State enterprises of Thailand Rapid transit in Bangkok Government railway authorities 1992 establishments in Thailand {{Thailand-rail-transport-stub

History

See also

References