Brown Line (Bangkok)


The MRT Brown Line is a 22.1 km proposed monorail mass transit line in Bangkok, Thailand from Nonthaburi Civic Centre, Nonthaburi Province to Lam Sali intersection, Bang Kapi District. 20 stations are proposed for the line and the expected cost for the project is 48 billion baht. The line has been integrated for 7.2 km with the N2 expressway project and a feasibility study has been completed. The MRT Brown line will interchange with 7 other mass transit lines.
Multiple delays on the alignment and construction of the MRT Brown Line have been experienced, largely due to changes in government policy, concerns from local community groups and the alignment of the planned N2 expressway.
The MRTA announced in August 2025 another review of the MRT Brown line due to the government's 20-baht flat fare policy and the redesign of the N2 section of the third-stage expressway which runs along the route. The study is to be completed by late-2025 with submission to the Cabinet in early 2026, with bidding for the line expected in late-2026.

Route Alignment

The MRT Brown Line starts at Nonthaburi Civic Centre where it interchanges with both the MRT Purple Line & MRT Pink Lines. It heads east along Ngam Wong Wan road through Khae Rai intersection and then Vihavadi-Rangsit road to interchange with the SRT Dark Red Line at Bang Khen. The Brown line continues past Kasetsart University to interchange with the BTS Sukhumvit Line at Kasetsart University on Phahon Yothin Road.
The line continues east along Prasote Manukitch Road past Chalong Rat Expressway to Nawamin Road. The line then turns south along Nawamin Road over Lam Phang Phuai lake and past Klong Chan Stadium. The line continues further southeast along Nawamin Road where it then terminates at Ramkhamhaeng rd, Lam Sali junction to interchange with the MRT Orange Line and MRT Yellow Line.

History

The line was first proposed as the Gold Line by the Pheu Thai party for the Bangkok Governors election held in March 2013. This was in response to objections by Kasetsart University and as an alternative to a long-proposed elevated Expressway extension, the N2 expressway project. However, the Pheu Thai candidate did not win the election and the Gold Line proposal was dropped with the then Deputy Minister of Transport stating that land appropriation costs were too high..
Subsequently, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning reworked the Gold Line proposal into a new MRT Brown Line monorail proposal and this was endorsed by the MRTA Board in August 2013. The route was under preliminary study by OTP from June 2013, but did not progress much before the May 2014 coup and change of government. Subsequently, the route was finalised by OTP and public hearings into the project were held during 2017 as the government proposed integrating the design with a new expressway. In mid-2017, the MOT announced that a final feasibility study would be completed over 14 months.
Note: This line is not to be confused with the original OTP 2004 13 km MRT Brown Line proposal from Bangkapi to Min Buri which was taken to the 2005 election. In 2009, this plan was subsequently changed and the original 13 km Brown Line was merged into an extended MRT Orange Line, which is currently under construction.

Progress

In August 2013, the MRTA approved the MRT Brown line in principle to complete the design by 2016 with an expected 3-year construction period for a 2021 opening. However, the line was delayed while a long planned expressway along much of the same route was prioritized. Public hearings on the Brown line was held in 2017. The MOT announced that a 14-month feasibility study into the line would be completed by 2018.
The feasibility study was undertaken during the same period where design for the N2 expressway was being finalised by EXAT without catering for the MRT Brown Line. Work was expected to commence on the expressway in 2019. OTP and MOT subsequently proposed an integrated design and construction of the Brown Line jointly with the N2 expressway which was approved by Cabinet. However, the Brown Line crossing of Vihavadi-Rangsit rd and the Don Muang elevated expressway might require a diversion of the Brown Line further north for the line to pass at this point depending on the final route design of the N2 expressway. In February 2018, OTP confirmed that the study integrating the MRT Brown Line with the Expressway design would be done by June 2018.
By August 2018, OTP had completed the feasibility study and conducted public hearings. Although, there was much public support for building the MRT Brown line, public opposition to the N2 expressway remained high. OTP intended to submit the project for Cabinet approval by the end of October 2018. In early June 2019, the MRTA Board approved the investment plan for the Brown Line and integrated design with the N2 Expressway conducted by EXAT. The design process was expected to be completed by late 2020 after further discussions regarding land access around Kasetsart University were conducted between EXAT, the MRTA, the Rural Highways Department and Kasetsart University in June 2020. In early November 2020, the MRTA Governor stated that the OTP had submitted the preliminary Environment to the National Environment Board for review and that land expropriation surveys in some areas along the route were still being finalised. Final design was expected to be completed by December 2020. However, the detailed design was expected to take longer to be completed by September 2022.
The line will require the 435 plots of land along the route to be appropriated in order for the line to be built.
In May 2023, the MRTA approved another feasibility study to be completed by December 2023 with construction tentatively starting from 2025.
The MRTA announced in August 2025 another review of the MRT Brown line due to the government's 20-baht flat fare policy and the redesign of the N2 section of the third-stage expressway which runs along the route. The study is to be completed by late-2025 with submission to the Cabinet in early 2026, with bidding for the line expected in late-2026.

Stations

The 22.1 km Brown line is proposed to have 20 stations:
Note: Station names are provisional.
CodeStation NameTransfersProvince-
BR01Nonthaburi Civic Center Nonthaburi-
BR02Khae RaiNonthaburi-
BR03Khlong Yat Lao Bangkok-
BR04Pracha Chuen intersectionBangkok-
BR05ChinnakhetBangkok-
BR06Bang Khen Bang Khen StationBangkok-
BR07Kasetsart University Bangkok-
BR08Kasetsart University Kasetsart UniversityBangkok-
BR09Bang BuaBangkok-
BR10Lat Pla KhaoBangkok-
BR11Prasoet Manu Kit 18Bangkok-
BR12SukhonthasawatBangkok-
BR13Chalong Rat Kaset Nawamin Bangkok-
BR14Khlong LamchiakBangkok-
BR15Nuan Chan 11Bangkok-
BR16Yaek NawaminBangkok-
BR17InthrarakBangkok-
BR18Nawamin PhiromBangkok-
BR19Seri Thai/Khlong Chan StadiumBangkok-
BR20Yaek Lam Sali Bangkok-
---Bangkok-
---Bangkok-

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