Tao Poon MRT station


Tao Poon station is a MRT station in Bangkok, located above Tao Poon Intersection in Bang Sue district, Bangkok. It is an interchange station of the Blue Line and Purple Line. The station was opened on 6 August 2016. While Tao Poon is currently the southern terminus of the Purple line, the construction is currently taking place to extend the line southward, with new stations planned to open in 2027.

History

The station was opened on 6 August 2016, initially with only Purple line service and were not connected to the rest of Bangkok's rapid transit system due to construction delays and a contract dispute. This resulted in Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoking the section 44 of the 2014 interim constitution of Thailand on 27 December 2016 to allow construction to proceed, and allowing BEM to operate Blue line service on this station. During that time, free shuttle bus service was provided, connecting Tao Poon station to a nearby Bang Sue MRT station.
The one-station Blue Line extension from Bang Sue to Tao Poon was opened on 11 August 2017, adding Blue Line service to the station and enabling direct transfers between the two lines. The station served as the terminal station of Blue line until 4 December 2019, when the Blue line service was extended from Tao Poon to Sirindhorn station.

Future

The Purple Line is planned to be extended southward, from Tao Poon to Rat Burana. The extension has been approved by the cabinet in 2017. The bidding occurred during November 2021 and March 2022. Construction began in the third quarter of 2022. The extension was expected to be complete by the end of 2027. However a new report suggest that only a few stations can be opened in 2027. The opening date for the whole line also got delayed to 2030.