Sky Train To Airport

[Dont Panic]

I'll be touching down in bkk at the end of july.....will the sky train be up and running!??

cheers

[toptuan]

I'll be flying into Swampy on March 12th. Same question, except I think we're both asking about the "airport rail link."

[Briggsy]

No.

[jdinasia]

City Link is complete and they have run trains on it ... then again the stations aren't complete and who knows when they may actually finish them!

[geriatrickid]

Perhaps, if it is open in the next few years, the operator can ask the O'Jays to serenade the passengers with a rendition of "Love Train". Mind you, the O'Jays will probably be dead by the time this route starts running.

[mommysboy]

date of completion?

2 years ago .

[NADTATIDA1]

Perhaps, if it is open in the next few years, the operator can ask the O'Jays to serenade the passengers with a rendition of "Love Train". Mind you, the O'Jays will probably be dead by the time this route starts running.

I thought a rendition of Backstabbers would be appropiate also....ah man the soul train yeah!!

[thaihome]

Here's the latest I could find:

NEWS UPDATE... 12 January, 2010

Airport Link faces more delay It is very unlikely that Airport Link can start commercial operations this April as earlier announced. The service now faces delays, possibly until August. State Railway of Thailand governor, Yuthana Thapchareon, talked to the Thai press after visiting the project, last week, noting there are still three main areas that have not been completed.

They are: communications system between stations especially those that link the system to the police in case of security or safety related incident; installation of CCTV and gate systems at some stations. They will need to be certified by an Independent Safety and System Certification Engineer before the Airport Link can be opened for services.

After inspection, SRT did not approved the rail system and electronic and mechanic system contracted by B Grimm International. No reason for this decision was given. More importantly, SRT has missed the deadline to set up a subsidiary company to manage the Airport Link. It has also failed to hire more than 30% of a required 400 staff who will be needed to run the service. They also require training.

Accoding to the original contract, the rail link was supposed to be operational in 2008, but disagreements between the SRT and its union as well as delays in the handover of land for stations were the main culprits

[h90]

Here's the latest I could find:

NEWS UPDATE... 12 January, 2010

Airport Link faces more delay It is very unlikely that Airport Link can start commercial operations this April as earlier announced. The service now faces delays, possibly until August. State Railway of Thailand governor, Yuthana Thapchareon, talked to the Thai press after visiting the project, last week, noting there are still three main areas that have not been completed.

They are: communications system between stations especially those that link the system to the police in case of security or safety related incident; installation of CCTV and gate systems at some stations. They will need to be certified by an Independent Safety and System Certification Engineer before the Airport Link can be opened for services.

After inspection, SRT did not approved the rail system and electronic and mechanic system contracted by B Grimm International. No reason for this decision was given. More importantly, SRT has missed the deadline to set up a subsidiary company to manage the Airport Link. It has also failed to hire more than 30% of a required 400 staff who will be needed to run the service. They also require training.

Accoding to the original contract, the rail link was supposed to be operational in 2008, but disagreements between the SRT and its union as well as delays in the handover of land for stations were the main culprits

August...did they mention the year?

[anotherpeter]

They would be implying 2010, seeing as it was currently being planned to be open in April this year.

Maybe they will have it open by the King's birthday (Dec 5) seeing as that was the date that it officially opened last year.

[mahtin]

My taxi driver 3 weeks ago reckoned K bday next year.

I suppose betting is illegal, so your guess is as good as...

[Travel2003]

As long as they make sure it works properly, better with a delayed opening date.

Afraid they will open it up as soon as possible after the planned date, to save face, and it will not be really ready for it.

[Moonrakers]

I saw a training running on this yesterday.

Does anybody know if this allows any passengers or only those whom are using the airport?

[Curt1591]

I saw a training running on this yesterday.

Does anybody know if this allows any passengers or only those whom are using the airport?

None of the above, really. It's testing and trials.

[Moonrakers]

I saw a training running on this yesterday.

Does anybody know if this allows any passengers or only those whom are using the airport?

None of the above, really. It's testing and trials.

I didn't say there was passengers on it, how would I be able see that? I just said that I saw a train running on it, which I did.

(My first post was supposed to say 'train', not 'training'.)

[IanForbes]

All I can add is... TIT... translation... This Is Thailand. Things get done in their own good time and never on schedule. The connections to Suvarnaboomcrash will eventually be completed, but only some monk sitting in some cave or on top of a mountain will deliver the final answer.

I remember in 1997 when they tore up Sukhumvit in Bangkok to put in the new overhead. The road stood in disrepair for several years before anyone started work on it again. Eventually, it all got finished.

[KeyserSoze01]

The airport rail link will be finished about the same time they finish renovating Thap Phraya road between Pattaya and Jomtien. In other words, never.

[bkkjames]

an update from http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2010/02/airp...en-this-august/

a couple of images off the trains on this link as well if you are interested.

Airport link should open August

February 24, 2010 by Rapeepat Mantanarat

Filed under News

Thailand’s first airport rail link should officially roll out services, 12 August, an auspicious day when the nation celebrates HM the Queen’s birthday.

However, free demonstration rides for the public will be arranged on weekdays leading up to the official opening date.

The rail system has already been tested to operational standard, but back-up facilities are still lagging behind their completion dates.

One of the delays involves the set up of a subsidiary company of the State Railways of Thailand to manage the Airport Link, while another involves hiring top executives such as the CEO and a chief financial officer.

The service has two lines; SA Express and SA City Line. The Express line is an express train service running non-stop from Makkasan Station to Suvarnabhumi Airport Station, located in the basement of the terminal building. The transfer takes 15 minutes from the downtown railway station.

A single trip fare has been set at Bt150. The train has four carriages — three for passengers, capable of seating 160 passengers and one for luggage.

The City Line, a commuter service, has eight stations including the starting point Phaya Thai Station and the airport terminal. The train has three carriages capable of accommodating 745 passengers. It will serve mainly suburban commuters travelling to and from work in downtown Bangkok. The entire trip will take 30 minutes.

At the Phya Thai Station, passengers can transfer from the BTS Skytrain, via a short walkway (yet to be completed). The line is also about 200 metres from the MRT subway station on the corner of New Phetchaburi Road.

On the City Line, the fare starts at Bt10, plus a kilometre charge. From Phaya Thai Station to Suvarnabhumi Airport, a distance of 28 km, with six stations in between, the one-way fare should be Bt38.

The main station is located in downtown Makkasan district, near the Ratchaprarop intersection with Makkasan Rd, and almost opposite the Bangkok Palace Hotel.

It will serve as a city air terminal, where airlines can check-in passengers and transfer luggage directly to the airport. However, there are snags in establishing downtown check-in; one being the SRT’s failure to establish a subsidiary in time to negotiate agreements.

Some airlines are showing interest, but it will depend on the terms and conditions of the managing company and whether it will save costs for the airlines. Airlines would like to reduce the check-in counters at the airport as the rental and service fees are very high, but the SRT has not indicated what the down-town check in facilities would cost. The service would also have to meet certain security guidelines for checked baggage.

In the long-term the main rail terminal is set up to offer downtown check-in with passenger services such as a business lounge, shops and taxi services that will not be part of the cartel that operates at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Frequent travellers who post blogs say they are “sick and tired” of the taxi mess at Suvarnabhumi and will use the rail service from the airport to town to avoid alarming and sometimes potentially dangerous tactics used by what is described as a “mafia-like taxi cartel” at the gateway airport.

However, very few details are available on the taxi set-up at the railway terminal. If it is an open system that allows standard city taxis to queue, without any parking fees, frequent visitors will have more confidence in the rail service. However, if SRT allows the same companies that operate at the airport to establish themselves at the railway station, it will face a barrage of criticism from the general public.

The construction phase of the airport link, valued at Bt25.09 billion, started 19 February 2005, but is now more than a year behind schedule. The airport line is being built by a B Grimm consortium, led by B Grimm MBM Hong Kong, with partners Siemens AG of Germany and Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction.

Notepad

Type: Rapid Transit

Owner: State Railway of Thailand

Line Length: 28.6 km

Operating Speed: 160 km/h

Capacity: 14,000 to 50,000 passengers/ day/ direction

Stations: Phya Thai, Ratchaparop, Makkasan (city air terminal), Ramkamhaeng, Hua Mak, Ban Tap Chang, Lad Krabang and Suvarnabhumi Airport

[toptuan]

I'll be flying into Swampy on March 12th. Same question, except I think we're both asking about the "airport rail link."

Well, definitely an incurable optimist I was! However, now I'm cured.