THAILAND – AIRPORT LINK
Bangkok Airport Link to start commercial operation Aug 23
Suvarnabhumi airport’s Airport Link commercial services will begin August 23 with special discount fares offered
Suvarnabhumi airport’s Airport Link commercial services will begin August 23 with special discount fares offered until the end of the year.
After presiding at ceremony during staff training for the Airport Rail Link project linking Suvarnabhumi Airport and Makkasan area in downtown Bangkok, Permanent Secretary for Transport Supot Saplom said he believed that independent engineers will issue the certificate permitting the project to open for service, as all flaws have been fixed, and test-runs by State Railway of Thailand (SRT) workers continue to be conducted.
The 28km rail link connects
Services of both the Express Service and the City Line will be operational on the same tracks at speeds of up to 160km per hour.
The Express Service is a 15-minute non-stop journey between the City Terminal and the airport with a fare at Bt150 per trip. During the opening period, the fare charged will be Bt100.
City Line commuter trips, with set fares at Bt15-Bt45, take 30 minutes to reach the airport, departing from Phaya Thai, Ratchaprarop, Makkasan, Asoke, Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak, Ban Thap Chang, and Lat Krabang stations, and will end at the last stop of Suvarnabhumi. The promotional fare will be Bt15 for all journeys during this period.
Meanwhile, Mr Supot said the baggage check-in system developed by SRT and Airports of Thailand (AoT) for Makkasan Station will be ready for full operation by the year end.
The transport official said there will be over 300 personnel working for the Airport Link project.
Concerning setting up a subsidiary firm to manage the project, Mr Supot said he will propose it to the ministry so that the company’s registered capital can be increased from Bt500 million (US$15 million) to Bt2 billion (US$60 million). The matter will be then proposed to the Cabinet for consideration. (MCOT online news)
