Suvarnabhumi Rail Link To Open August 12

[Heng]

Will certainly make my periodic trips to Sathorn from Pattaya easier for sure. Now if they would only build a park and ride garage at the Suvarnabhumi (just off the motorway).

Would be better if they just extended the rail all the way to Pattaya.

They only have like 100k to go with very little land needed to be aquisitioned.

They could even build alongside the motorway or new toll way.

No doubt my grandchildren will benefit from that if built.

[madmitch]

[

Would be better if they just extended the rail all the way to Pattaya.

They only have like 100k to go with very little land needed to be aquisitioned.

They could even build alongside the motorway or new toll way.

There's a line there already. You'd need to change at Lat Krabang just outside the airport.

The only problems are that it's third class, there's one train a day failrly early in the morning and it takes about three hours from there.

[sriracha john]

Would be better if they just extended the rail all the way to Pattaya.

They only have like 100k to go with very little land needed to be aquisitioned.

They could even build alongside the motorway or new toll way.

There's a line there already. You'd need to change at Lat Krabang just outside the airport.

The only problems are that it's third class, there's one train a day failrly early in the morning and it takes about three hours from there.

The price, however, is very reasonable....

[sriracha john]

The SRT Governor revealed that a company with great expertise in rail performance will be brought in to advise and assist Airport Link subsidiary offficials.

Does anyone know who got the contract?

It's surprising to see them so openly admit to bringing in outsiders as a "good thing"... presumably a foreign firm?

[bruceboy]

Hopefully, the new opening will go as planned.

[tombkk]

The SRT plans to collect a fare of 150 baht from passengers taking non-stop trains while those travelling on trains that stop at every station will pay between 15 and 45 baht.

So it's a dual-rail in both directions with tracks outside the stations to bypass any congestion caused by the normal trains [that stop at every stations] or is there a completely separate track from and to the two endstations?

Yes, you got it. More details will become available when they are available.

[game4shame]

I once had to endure a 2.5 hour taxi journey from soo-wanna-poom to sukhumvit. it was a friday night on a holiday weekend. hel_l.

scenarios like that coupled with the rip-off taxi clowns means I will welcome this rail link with open arms.

[frankthetank]

At least there is light at the end of the tunnel as they say.

isn't the line supposed to be overhead???

The tunnels are required to speed through the central-Bangkok mountain-range.

ummm!! was jesting!!

[boggzzy]

The SRT plans to collect a fare of 150 baht from passengers taking non-stop trains while those travelling on trains that stop at every station will pay between 15 and 45 baht.

So it's a dual-rail in both directions with tracks outside the stations to bypass any congestion caused by the normal trains [that stop at every stations] or is there a completely separate track from and to the two endstations?

Yes, you got it. More details will become available when they are available.

no bypass. its a timing thing trains only ever stop for 30seconds or so at every station. if the trains are 15 min apart the express can never catch up to the train in front the trains will travel at the same speed apart from stoping at the station.

[p_brownstone]

The SRT plans to collect a fare of 150 baht from passengers taking non-stop trains while those travelling on trains that stop at every station will pay between 15 and 45 baht.

So it's a dual-rail in both directions with tracks outside the stations to bypass any congestion caused by the normal trains [that stop at every stations] or is there a completely separate track from and to the two endstations?

Yes, you got it. More details will become available when they are available.

no bypass. its a timing thing trains only ever stop for 30seconds or so at every station. if the trains are 15 min apart the express can never catch up to the train in front the trains will travel at the same speed apart from stoping at the station.

That surely cannot be correct?

If the timing is 15 minutes that means there will only be an Express Train from Suwannabhumi to Makkasan and return every 30 minutes - hardly enough to accomodate passengers on even 20% of the Flights arriving and leaving in that time.

Patrick

[sriracha john]

I once had to endure a 2.5 hour taxi journey from soo-wanna-poom to sukhumvit. it was a friday night on a holiday weekend. hel_l.

scenarios like that coupled with the rip-off taxi clowns means I will welcome this rail link with open arms.

If, and yes it's a big "if", the rail link can replicate even in a small way the Singapore airport set-up, it'll be a tremendous improvement over the kind of junk travelers have to endure as exemplified above.

[phaethon]

That surely cannot be correct?

If the timing is 15 minutes that means there will only be an Express Train from Suwannabhumi to Makkasan and return every 30 minutes - hardly enough to accomodate passengers on even 20% of the Flights arriving and leaving in that time.

And a stopping train takes considerably more time to accelerating and decelerating than just the time stopped and won't usually (bother to) achieve the same maximum speed as an express.

[crocodilexp]

At 150 baht/trip, express train seems pointless. Almost every time I pay 200-230 baht from near Makkasan to Suvarnabhumi. It takes the freeway and I never bumped into a major jam (~40 min trip time, less with crazy drivers).

50-100 baht difference means nothing -- those that want ultra-cheap can take a 50 baht van/bus from Victory Monument already.

If you have any bags, you need a taxi to the station already. At ~150 baht, the express would only make sense for someone living right next to the Makkasan station (<200m).

Commuter train would be useful, but since this is Thailand, I'm sure they'll have many half-hearted rules in an attempt to prevent passengers, especially Farang, from riding it to the airport.

Edited February 16, 2009 by crocodilexp

[thaihome]

I once had to endure a 2.5 hour taxi journey from soo-wanna-poom to sukhumvit. it was a friday night on a holiday weekend. hel_l.

scenarios like that coupled with the rip-off taxi clowns means I will welcome this rail link with open arms.

Just wait and see how long it takes a taxi to get from the Makkasan Station to Sukhumvit or even worse, Sathorn, on those Friday nights.

I still say with 4 lane expressway accesses from either side of the airport, there is little need for this and in the long run, people that know Bangkok traffic will not be using it.

For the poster that takes a monthly trip to Sathorn from Pattaya, this is not going to come close to helping you. The best route for that is not to take the motorway and Rama IX expressway all the way in, but use the Chonburi bypass to the Bangkok-Trat elevated to the first stage expressway and get off at either Rama IV or go the back way from Rama III and Nang Linchi.

TH

[zink]

So it's a dual-rail in both directions with tracks outside the stations to bypass any congestion caused by the normal trains [that stop at every stations] or is there a completely separate track from and to the two endstations?

Yes, you got it. More details will become available when they are available.

no bypass. its a timing thing trains only ever stop for 30seconds or so at every station. if the trains are 15 min apart the express can never catch up to the train in front the trains will travel at the same speed apart from stoping at the station.

That surely cannot be correct?

If the timing is 15 minutes that means there will only be an Express Train from Suwannabhumi to Makkasan and return every 30 minutes - hardly enough to accomodate passengers on even 20% of the Flights arriving and leaving in that time.

Patrick

Unfortunately it seems to be correct. There is a bypass, but not on every station.

It means that express train can leave every 15 minutes and normal train can leave every 30 minutes:

0:00 First express train leaves

0:00 Normal train leaves just after it

0:15 Second express train leaves

0:15 First express train arrives

0:30 Normal train arrives

0:30 Second express train arrives just after it

Naturally, this means that the system is very error prone, if one train is delayed, then many later trains will be delayed too.

[samgrowth]

Interesting and untried (on skytrain) concept with the express versus local stop fares. Wonder how that will work in terms of the crowds chosing.

Take a look at KLIA Express (Malaysia). http://www.kliaekspres.com/

It might be using a similar system.

The fare is the same for the same distance (Fast or Slow train).

Fast train non-stop (28 mins).

Slow train (travelling at same speed) have 3 stops (35 mins).

The idea is the the slow train will leaves just after the departural of the fast train A; but will arrived just a head of the next fast train B.

I.e., no overtaking on the single track. In short, take the first departure train (fast or slow) will get to your destination fastest.

The idea of the slow train is mainly to serves airport staff living along the track.

Example (this is just an example)

=================================

Fast train leaves every 15 mins, journey time of 15 mins.

The slow train will leave 1 min after the fast train, journet time 28 mins (with 7 stops of 2 mins each), it will still arrive 1 min before the next fast train at the final destination

........ Fast. Slow. Fast. Slow. Fast. Slow. Fast. Slow.

........ ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== =====

Depart.. 00:00 00:01 00:15 00:16 00:30 00:31 00:45 00:46

Arrive.. 00:15 00:29 00:30 00:44 00:45 00:59 01:00 01:14

Duration 15min 28min 15min 28min 15min 28min 15min 28min

Edited February 16, 2009 by samgrowth

[stumonster]

but since this is Thailand, I'm sure they'll have many half-hearted rules in an attempt to prevent passengers, especially Farang, from riding it to the airport.

this is what I would expect - a rule that if you have a bag and are a farang you must take the express train

[quiksilva]

So it's a dual-rail in both directions with tracks outside the stations to bypass any congestion caused by the normal trains [that stop at every stations] or is there a completely separate track from and to the two endstations?

Yes, you got it. More details will become available when they are available.

no bypass. its a timing thing trains only ever stop for 30seconds or so at every station. if the trains are 15 min apart the express can never catch up to the train in front the trains will travel at the same speed apart from stoping at the station.

That surely cannot be correct?

If the timing is 15 minutes that means there will only be an Express Train from Suwannabhumi to Makkasan and return every 30 minutes - hardly enough to accomodate passengers on even 20% of the Flights arriving and leaving in that time.

Patrick

Unfortunately it seems to be correct. There is a bypass, but not on every station.

It means that express train can leave every 15 minutes and normal train can leave every 30 minutes:

0:00 First express train leaves

0:00 Normal train leaves just after it

0:15 Second express train leaves

0:15 First express train arrives

0:30 Normal train arrives

0:30 Second express train arrives just after it

Naturally, this means that the system is very error prone, if one train is delayed, then many later trains will be delayed too.

Yes, this how the SRT explained the system to me (and a group of other property people) too. Although I seem to remember from my meeting (two years ago) that the delays problem mentioned is to be dealt with by a place where the commuter train can wait, I think perhaps Latkrabang, but not sure on specifics. (edit I see that you mentioned that.. yes, agreed its still prone to error)

The difference between what you posted is that we were told by the SRT that the express train leaves every 30 minutes and takes just 15 minutes station to station, whereas the community train take 30 minutes to travel the same route but leaves every 15 minutes!

So... if you miss the "express" train you have to wait 30 minutes for the next one, and then travel for 15 minutes OR you can wait for 15 minutes and endure 30 minutes travel! Net result being the same! (Although timing would be offset). Still, hardly what I would call "express", especially when you can take the same trip by car in the same time, unless you happen to be travelling at rush hour.

[SWW]

.......the baggage carousel system, would not be ready on the opening day....

....The luggage-loading service at Makkasan station would not be operational.....

So why open the bloody thing early?!! Remember Swampy's early opening?!!

My memory tells me that Suvarnabhumi's opening went a whole lot more smoothly than a similar venture at Heathrow's Terminal 5. Despite all the doom-and-gloom merchants on here before and soon after Suvarnabhumi opened, it all went pretty smoothly, considering.

If it's 100-150 THB per person on the new airport link, and they only open the Makkasan station to start with, then I can't see many people making use of it to start with (as has been commented already, if you are going to Sukhumvit then the expressway will be a whole lot quicker - and if you have another person with you it'll cost the same too) - but this is about 'face' more than anything else. If they partially open it then at least it's been opened. And the dates they mention: open on 12th August or 5th December? Memories of the MRT opening in 2004 now - that sat idle while they waited for the 12th August.

If they reckon it's going to be only a few weeks away from being ready on 12th August, then it's a lot better to have it not quite ready and partially in use for a few weeks than to have to wait another 3 months before they can touch it.

[bkkmick]

Just saw a looong train on the new Rail Link out at Srinakorin today. Looked good.

[samgrowth]

Can we do this if a delay in the Express train cause us to miss our flight?

[WOWAsia]

Can we do this if a delay in the Express train cause us to miss our flight?

LOL - if she has a husband, poor man!

[sriracha john]

Thailand negotiates with German firm on airport rail link

Bangkok - Thailand's state railway was expected to sign a 90-million baht deal with Deutsche Bahn International to operate Bangkok's airport rail link to open later this year, media reports said Saturday.

Tawalyarat Onsira, the Transport Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, said the State Railways of Thailand hoped to finalize the deal with the German firm this month, The Nation newspaper reported.

Under the deal, Deutsche Bahn would be required to also provide training for the Thai state railway, which plans to eventually set up a subsidiary to operate the link between Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the capital, which was scheduled for a trial launch on August 12.

The airport rail link has been much delayed. Suvarnabhumi International Airport was opened in September 2006.

- DPA / 2009-04-18

[grtaylor]

For 150 baht per person one way I don't think they have to stop it. If two people are flying I think its better to just take a taxi. ALso won't have to carry the baggage up escalators, through elevators, through doors, etc.

As said, price will key to its success or demise (I've not seen 150 quoted before, reference?).

If it's reasonable, ala skytrain, then it could work... like Singapore's does.

But if it's unreasonable, then many a couple/families/even singles will opt for the taxi method.

I rather dispute the phrase "then it could work... like Singapore's does". I tried it once, arriving at about 8:30pm. It took me over an hour, including at least two changes, to get to my hotel. Next time I took a taxi.

G

[BigSnake]

Great News for the Air Traveler, not good for the meter taxis that put you thur all the hassle. Hope everything is on time and there be a smooth opening in Aug 09.

[LawnGnome]

Thailand negotiates with German firm on airport rail link

Bangkok - Thailand's state railway was expected to sign a 90-million baht deal with Deutsche Bahn International to operate Bangkok's airport rail link to open later this year, media reports said Saturday.

Tawalyarat Onsira, the Transport Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, said the State Railways of Thailand hoped to finalize the deal with the German firm this month, The Nation newspaper reported.

Under the deal, Deutsche Bahn would be required to also provide training for the Thai state railway, which plans to eventually set up a subsidiary to operate the link between Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the capital, which was scheduled for a trial launch on August 12.

The airport rail link has been much delayed. Suvarnabhumi International Airport was opened in September 2006.

- DPA / 2009-04-18

If you want something to run right, hire the Germans. Good move after a decade of missteps.

[Oberkommando]

what is going relatively unnoticed is that there is going to be a bog standard train link as well, which will connect directly to both the underground and the skytrain.

How can it possibly connect directly to other lines when the airport link is overhead powered and the MRT and BTS powered by a third rail?

Or do you mean connected directly by a footbridge and escalators?

[samgrowth]

The rail link will provide a very good transportation link for any future protesters.

[sriracha john]

The rail link will provide a very good transportation link for any future protesters.

It will certainly assist trolls in moving about from internet cafe to internet cafe.

[tartempion]

"which was scheduled for a trial launch on August 12"

So nothing decided YET