Airport Rail Link urges commuters to get up earlier

By The Nation

 

 

Airport Rail Link, whose services have become synonymous with crammed passengers and inadequate trains, has come up with a measure to reduce overcrowding - an “early bird” campaign.

 

Suthep Phanpheng, deputy managing director of operator Electrified Train Co, said the promotional package would run for three months from May to July. Its aim is to encourage commuters to use the train between 5.30am and 6am to avoid overcrowding during the rush hours from 6am to 8am.

 

He said there are three promotional types: an “Everyday Special” from May 5 to June 1, a “Monday Special” from June 4 to June 25, and a “Friday Special” from July 6 to July 27.

 

He said passengers who use their Smart Pass electronic card on Airport Rail Link will get a discount of Bt5 per trip to travel between 5.30am and 6am.

 

Those who join the “Monday Special” campaign will get movie tickets if they are among the first 800 users of the service each Monday.

 

The “Friday Special” will see passengers who travel between 5.30am and 6am receive a hot coffee and a sandwich, Suthep added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343913

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-25

That's it, blame the commuters for the overcrowding. It's not Airport Link's problem for having trains out of service awaiting spare parts. It's the customers' fault for not getting up early enough! Amazing Thailand indeed. Unbelievable.

I wonder if they considered increasing the fares to deter as many people from using the service?

Great! Get to work two hours early.

As if the locals are not sleepy enough!  

"The “Friday Special” will see passengers who travel between 5.30am and 6am receive a hot coffee and a sandwich, .."   

 

which you cant enjoy on the train or in the station......

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The “Friday Special” will see passengers who travel between 5.30am and 6am receive a hot coffee and a sandwich, Suthep added.

Wonder if that comes with free rat droppings ? 

 

Typical example of growing your tourism without growing the infrastructure to cope with it

I wonder if theyn will ever get off their copllective butts and refurbish the worn out tracks, acquire new cars and perhaps even restart the Express train?

I think it's a great idea. I'll get the 5:30 am train. Hopefully I should have time to make my 6:30 pm flight.MORE CARRIAGES YOU MONEY HUNGRY IDIOTS.

Why didn't he suggest that everyone who uses these sardine cans lose 10% of their weight so they can cram in more passengers? Problem solved.

Why not half price? It works if company also make adjustments with flexible working hours.

“...The “Friday Special” will see passengers who travel between 5.30am and 6am receive a hot coffee and a sandwich, Suthep added...”

 

YES! The tiny two-inch triangle of white bread with a thin stripe of mayonnaise inside, wrapped in a meter of plastic wrap! 

I’m in!

18 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

Great! Get to work two hours early.

As if the locals are not sleepy enough!  

Companies that can should shift start times forward or back so staff can avoid

rush hour traffic. Everybody wins. Get to work early-leave early or sleep in a little

and start work and get home a little later. Staff win with shorter commute times

and less crowding.

36 minutes ago, Ulic said:

Companies that can should shift start times forward or back so staff can avoid rush hour traffic. Everybody wins. Get to work early-leave early or sleep in a little and start work and get home a little later. Staff win with shorter commute times and less crowding.

Most of the workers are already waking up at 6 - 7 am. Some have to work up earlier if they have kids or elderly parents to look after. Do you honestly believe that employers will allow workers to leave early? Seriously? As it is Thai employers try to get 10 hour days from their workers. This early bird scheme is BS. As was explained upthread, it's time to bring back the express line to actually serve the airport as was intended and to add more cars & frequency  to the  commuter line.

21 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Typical example of growing your tourism without growing the infrastructure to cope with it

Except in this case the overcrowding is from local commuters, not tourists.

23 hours ago, blackcab said:

I wonder if they considered increasing the fares to deter as many people from using the service?

Ha.  Good one.  Amazing that a service that has people cramming to use it, does not do anything to cater to the users!  That is like a restaurant that is busy, complaining there are too many customers .  As a customer service person, the Thai officials response to the over crowding sickens me

Oooohh 5baht discount, I must remember to set my clock an hour earlier to collect my financial reward. Great incentive guys, those early morning trains are gonna be rammo, especially on a Monday and Friday..... mind yer backs HOT coffee coming through 

With the increasing traveller inconveniences at Suvarnabhumi Airport with all the hassles such as inordinate immigration queues both coming and going and overcrowded sardine like Airport Link trains I have decided lash out on my next trip and spend my money on the "meet and greet" VIP immigration and limo service to and from the city; 2000 baht all up for both arrival and departure journeys. 

Lord only know what tourists must think of the place after they get off the plane. They must wonder what's struck them.

And all the while TAT is nowhere to be seen or heard. Surely they have a bit of leverage with Immigration and the greedy rail link people.

How about getting some of the buses that use to go to the airport back again.

Use to be quite easy to get from the southern bus terminal to the airport before this train for an example.

 

Get all of them back until they learn how to manage maintenance and keep the train running.

 

Will keep the buses running for ever  

 

 

Phase II of the Airport Link Propoganda  - Kindly consider UBER and GRAB !