The number of passengers riding the new SRT Red Line has been steadily climbing, hitting a new daily high of 14,120 on May 27, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said on Friday.
This compares to 2,000-3,000 per day on average in November, 8,000-9,000 a day in the following months and over 10,000 for most days in May, said Suthep Panpeng, director-general of SRT Electrified Train Co.
The service expects to clock 30,000 a day within this year.
Mr Suthep said fares got a boost on May 1 when the government stopped requiring travellers to go through the Test & Go entry scheme and schools resumed on-site learning. This saw a resurgence in commuting on public transport.
The most popular stations are now Bang Sue Central, Don Mueang and Rangsit, respectively, he noted. Don Mueang climbed one place to No.2 as many people have resumed domestic travel, Mr Suthep said.
Red Line passengers heading for Don Mueang Airport can disembark and only have to cross the skywalk to instantly access the airport, which maximises their convenience, the director-general added.
But the SRT is considering building a ramp linking Don Mueang station to the airport as the connecting stairs have generated many complaints, with people venting their frustration online about the inconvenience of carrying heavy luggage around, he said.
Red Line fares start from 12 baht and are capped at 42 baht for the entire 42-kilometre distance.
Monthly tickets work out at 25 baht per trip, he said.
