Airport Rail Link (again Sorry)

[frankthetank]

Any update on the Airport Rail Link?

Has anyone taken it lately?

1) Is there a bridge from Phayathai BTS station to the Airport Link station?

2) What time does it close? (my flight is at 12 midnight, so I have to be at airport by 10pm)

3) Any English language official website of the link? I can't seem to Google it.

It is still runnning as per the above info - lots of pax.

1) It is being built quite quickly but will be finished a few weeks after the opening ones suspects ...or at least the BTS ticket barriers will be installed late.

2) If you have read the thread, the current operating times are still current. If your flight if after 23 Aug, you will be ok.

3) The SRT & operator are still yet up and running, probably in the week before full services start it will come online?? There is a Siemens site with technical info , the SRT has had a page link to their main site but the info is dated and not helpful.

Just curious......vibrating finger???

[junkofdavid2]

Thanks for the update... appreciate it.

Looks like I won't be able to use the link unless I'm willing to leave for the airport 3 hours early..

[lomatopo]

1) Is there a bridge from Phayathai BTS station to the Airport Link station?

1) It is being built quite quickly but will be finished a few weeks after the opening ones suspects ...or at least the BTS ticket barriers will be installed late.

Work on the connecting ramp has begun, it looks like most of the supporting structure is in place. As Lakegeneve points out, this ramp allows entrance/exit for passengers on the mezzanine level, "trainside" so ticket barriers, ticket booths and ticket machines will have to be installed. Not sure where there going to fit them? So this will take quite a while I imagine. It probably would have been better to direct passengers to either or both of the existing ticket lobbies via walkways?

Unless I'm missing something this will be a point of congestion resulting in long waits in both directions. Also airline passengers will somehow have to be discouraged from using the City Line trains as there will not be any room for bags.

[Lakegeneve]

1) Is there a bridge from Phayathai BTS station to the Airport Link station?

1) It is being built quite quickly but will be finished a few weeks after the opening ones suspects ...or at least the BTS ticket barriers will be installed late.

Work on the connecting ramp has begun, it looks like most of the supporting structure is in place. As Lakegeneve points out, this ramp allows entrance/exit for passengers on the mezzanine level, "trainside" so ticket barriers, ticket booths and ticket machines will have to be installed. Not sure where there going to fit them? So this will take quite a while I imagine. It probably would have been better to direct passengers to either or both of the existing ticket lobbies via walkways?

Unless I'm missing something this will be a point of congestion resulting in long waits in both directions. Also airline passengers will somehow have to be discouraged from using the City Line trains as there will not be any room for bags.

I think that there is ample room for the gates, tcket machines and a change booth as the ramp from the SRT Phaya Thai station is really quite wide with ample room, certainly much more than exisits at BTS Asoke with the interchange with the MRT which is a mess duriong peak hours. I assume that the BTS gates will be installed on the connecting ramp itself with the ticket machines/change booth installed on the SRT station ramp.

The connecting structure frame is nearly complete with the floor and roof to be installed. Probably, this will be complete immediately on the 23rd but I still cannot see BTS gates, ticket machines etc being installed until later.

[Lakegeneve]

The SRT has expanded the times of the free trial period as of this week until the 23rd to the following;

6am to 10am and 4pm to 9pm, still M-F only.

(When the trail commenced in June services on Public Holidays were also excluded but I have no idea about operations for the next 2 days)

[theoldgit]

The SRT has expanded the times of the free trial period as of this week until the 23rd to the following;

6am to 10am and 4pm to 9pm, still M-F only.

That's intersting because I certainly saw trains running last weekend and I noticed trains running at 23.00 last night, there were certainly lights on in the carriages but my eyes are not good enough to confirm if there were any passengers on board, so they could well just be training runs.

Edited August 11, 2010 by theoldgit

[Lakegeneve]

The SRT has expanded the times of the free trial period as of this week until the 23rd to the following;

6am to 10am and 4pm to 9pm, still M-F only.

That's intersting because I certainly saw trains running last weekend and I noticed trains running at 23.00 last night, there were certainly lights on in the carriages but my eyes are not good enough to confirm if there were any passengers on board, so they could well just be training runs.

Yes I have seen the same in the last 2 weeks. At a rooftop party the other wk, I saw 5 trains between 1am & 2am and also last week a couple of other times all late at night. Undertaking test runs before full services I assume....

.....either that or some children near the depot are doing a bit of late night joy riding!

[hhgz]

"...I still cannot see...ticket machines...being installed until later..."

The ticket machines have already been installed, and are inside of the SARL terminal. They will not install additional ticket machines in the BTS station.

[Lakegeneve]

"...I still cannot see...ticket machines...being installed until later..."

The ticket machines have already been installed, and are inside of the SARL terminal. They will not install additional ticket machines in the BTS station.

I think that you may have misunderstood the discussion, it has been regarding the BTS gates and tickets (Not SRT) for the link being built between both Phaya Thai stations.

The connection/interchange link currently being built between the SRT station and the BTS station will connect directly into the ticketed area of the BTS station. Accordingly, BTS ticket gates will need to be installed for people exiting/entering the station. BTS ticket issuing machines and probably a change booth will need to be also installed so people comeing from the SRT station can purchase a ticket.

(That is of course unless BTSC wants to allow everyone who uses the new connection to enter Phaya Thai station for free and without a ticket!)

[hhgz]

The SARL station has ticket machines, and entrance and exit gates, within the SARL station. If you use the BTS system, and want to leave the BTS and use the SARL: you exit the BTS station, buy a ticket for the SARL, and then enter the SARL system through the SARL entrance gates. If you've used the SARL system and want to use the BTS system: you exit the SARL system, using the SARL ticket and exit gates. You then enter the BTS station, use the GTS ticket, and go through the BTS entrance gates.

[lomatopo]

The SARL station has ticket machines, and entrance and exit gates, within the SARL station. If you use the BTS system, and want to leave the BTS and use the SARL: you exit the BTS station, buy a ticket for the SARL, and then enter the SARL system through the SARL entrance gates. If you've used the SARL system and want to use the BTS system: you exit the SARL system, using the SARL ticket and exit gates. You then enter the BTS station, use the GTS ticket, and go through the BTS entrance gates.

You still seem to misunderstand the discussion. The connecting ramp being built connects behind the two existing BTS ticketing lobbies (so called "trainside" vs. "landside") on the mezzanine level, one level below the BTS train platforms. People in this area have already entered the BTS gates here, or have arrived and have yet to exit. Hence the need to build ingress/egress BTS gates (change booths, automated ticket machines, etc.) somewhere on the ramp. Passengers could of course go to down to the street level, go north or south and then back up to one of the two existing BTS ticket lobbies.

We all acknowledge that the SARL/City Line has already installed ticketing booths, and entrance/exit gates in the terminus station at Phaya Thai.

[mjperry]

There is another possibility, although perhaps a remote one, that they are planning to allow use of this ramp when the single BTS/MRT/SARL ticket comes into effect, meaning they would not need ticket barriers installed here. I had heard that with the addition of SARL the single ticket plan was close to completion. Just thinking out of the box here

Martin

[lomatopo]

There is another possibility, although perhaps a remote one, that they are planning to allow use of this ramp when the single BTS/MRT/SARL ticket comes into effect, meaning they would not need ticket barriers installed here. I had heard that with the addition of SARL the single ticket plan was close to completion. Just thinking out of the box here

Martin

That's not a possibility. You need ticket barriers. Even when (if) a universal stored value RFID card is available, you will have to use to to exit the SARL/CityLine station at Phaya Thai and then use it again to enter the BTS station.

In any event work on the new entrance/exit is progressing. They are building a new lobby on the mezzanine level inside the BTS station. The ticket gates are already in place so they may make that 23 August deadline after all!

[wpcoe]

The SRT has expanded the times of the free trial period as of this week until the 23rd to the following;

6am to 10am and 4pm to 9pm, still M-F only.

(When the trail commenced in June services on Public Holidays were also excluded but I have no idea about operations for the next 2 days)

So, it's currently still operating only on the limited test schedule? I had thought (or maybe just hoped) that the full schedule would begin on the Queen's Birthday (Aug 12.)

I'm planning a day-trip to Bangkok to get my US Embassy letter for my retirement extension and do some shopping, and wanted to try taking an airport bus from Jomtien to the airport and then the train into Bangkok city. The limited operating hours of the test schedule require quite an early departure from Jomtien.

Is it still free on the limited test schedule?

[Piengrudee]

I think they should open it officially on the King's birthday on Dec 5th. Why rush it?

[powderpuff]

Is it still free on the limited test schedule?

Still free. Of course you fail to mention what day you plan this trip of yours.

[lomatopo]

I think they should open it officially on the King's birthday on Dec 5th. Why rush it?

Which year are you suggesting?

Seriously, sometimes you don't have to wait for 5 Dec or 12 Aug to do everything? SBIA opened on 28 September, although still no official (Royal) ceremony yet. Thousands of people will benefit from this new line daily; why impact them by delaying?

[llz]

Breaking news on the Bangkok Post website to-day : commercial services will begin next Monday

[lomatopo]

Breaking news on the Bangkok Post website to-day : commercial services will begin next Monday

Note that the 23 August date was announced last month (~ 12 July), and Lakegeneve posted it here in this thread.

[Lakegeneve]

There is another possibility, although perhaps a remote one, that they are planning to allow use of this ramp when the single BTS/MRT/SARL ticket comes into effect, meaning they would not need ticket barriers installed here. I had heard that with the addition of SARL the single ticket plan was close to completion. Just thinking out of the box here

Martin

That's not a possibility. You need ticket barriers. Even when (if) a universal stored value RFID card is available, you will have to use to to exit the SARL/CityLine station at Phaya Thai and then use it again to enter the BTS station.

In any event work on the new entrance/exit is progressing. They are building a new lobby on the mezzanine level inside the BTS station. The ticket gates are already in place so they may make that 23 August deadline after all!

I must confess that I am a little surprised that the ticket barriers were installed so quickly, good news. Some pics available at 2Bangkok, http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=27758#post27758 . You may be right that it will all be ready to go next Monday.

On the intergrated ticketing front which mjperry mentions, there are no medium term plans to introduce an intergrated ticketing system between the SRT and BTSC. It has been mentioned as a future aim but both are stand alone systems.

As an example of how how bad things are, BMCL (MRT operator) and BTSC have been discussing and promising intergrated ticketing for the last 4 years - it was going to be introduced on both systems in 2008 and then 09. Are we any closer? It does not seem so.

By early next year you could need 4 different tickets to take the BTS, MRT, SRT and BRT! When the BMTA introduces electronic ticketing in a couple of years on the planned new NGV buses (if there are purchased) you may have 5 e- ticketing systems!!!

Bangkok is crying out for an intergrated ticketing platform but no single agency plans or regulates public transport so it is a bit of a uncoordinated mess.

[Lakegeneve]

I think they should open it officially on the King's birthday on Dec 5th. Why rush it?

Which year are you suggesting?

Seriously, sometimes you don't have to wait for 5 Dec or 12 Aug to do everything? SBIA opened on 28 September, although still no official (Royal) ceremony yet. Thousands of people will benefit from this new line daily; why impact them by delaying?

Piengrudee, it was originally due to open on 5 Dec 2008!!! That then became 12 Aug 2009, then later 5 Dec 2009 which became Feb 2010, and then April/May 2010 and then..................you get the idea I think.

You should ask the SRT why they could not open for full operations on 12 Aug.

[wpcoe]

Well, I did my day-trip from Jomtien to Bangkok (city) today via the airport, connecting to from the new airport rail line. Had to get an early start due to only the 0600 bus from Pattaya Nua road would make the connection to get me to the U.S. Embassy before it closed at 1100 for lunch, hence little sleep last night, and I'm dog tired now.

A few comments about things I don't recall reading before:

If you enjoyed the original grey interior design of the airport terminal itself before they installed colored seat cushions and scattered plants, you'll looove the train station. It is TOTALLY GREY.

Nice little shopping area just outside the airport train station entrance, including a Subway sandwich shop and a convenience store.

The train cars give a fast, quiet ride, but the interior design is a bit "different". There are little partitions on either side of the doors (nothing unusual there), but the bench seats don't go all the way to the partition. There's a little gap, about wide enough for one person to stand. Why not extend the bench all the way to the partition to let that person sit? (This is not about the area were there is a large gap between the end of some seat benches and the partition ... those are probably for wheelchair parking, although there are no anchoring mechanisms there.)

The plastic bench seat itself is shallower than I've ever seen on a train. It helped me maintain proper erect seating posture, since if I slouched my fat @ss was so close the the edge, I think I would have slid off and on to the floor.

The poles that support the straps for standing passengers are much closer to the seat than on other trains. That often meant (in my observations my rides today) that someone sitting on the bench has to sit with legs spread to accommodate the too-near pole.

The doors *slam* shut. They slide together slowly until they meet, and the *bam!* they retract up against the door frame. I don't think it's a safety hazard, but I flinched the first few times I heard it.

I was a little surprised to see the empty advertising placard holders. i.e. Not a bit of advertising yet. I'd think they could have charged advertisers even for the trail runs, no? I was more surprised to see no place for a route-map placard, unless they slap on a bumper sticker-type deal right above the doors. The area above the doors is not that large, and there is no placard holder there.

What with the state of digital audio recording these days, I think the announcements could be better constructed. It was like: "The train is now approaching ..... Phaya Thai Station." or "The train will be arriving the station in .... ONE!!! ... minute." The pauses make it seem unpolished, and the uneven-ness of the sentence fragments doesn't help.

Makkasan stop still not being used, so they haven't been able to test the "hub" station yet.

The connector bridge from between the rail train Phaya Thai station and the BTS station looks like it might be done for Monday's opening, as long as the workers don't take the weekend off. :-)

And, boy is the train popular. Granted it currently is only operating at rush hour, but the 0745 train I took this morning would have made a Tokyo subway rush-hour commuter feel right at home. It'll be interesting to see if the loads (95% Thai) will hold up when the ride is no longer free.

What with the state of digital audio recording, I think the announcements could be better constructed. It was like: "The train is now approaching ... Phaya Thai Station." or "The train will be arriving the station in ... ONE!!! ... minute." The pauses make it seem unpolished, and the uneven-ness of the sentence fragments doesn't help.

(I took some pics, but too tired to download them from my phone camera. Not sure if the quality is worthy of a forum post either.)

[lomatopo]

The connecting bridge at Phaya Thai is open and functioning; the BTS gates and ticketing booths are in place.

The ticket machines for SARL do not appear to be working at Phaya Thai anyway; you pay 15 baht and get a paper ticket which no one ever asks for or collects.

Express Line trains overtake City Line trains at Lat Krabang station only.

City Line trains stopped at all stations today, although there were some minor problems with a few trains: taken out of service, passengers mis-directed, etc. (I saw quite a few passengers bound for the airport on the wrong platform.)

Makasan station is very nice. No taxis in sight. The walk to the Petchaburi MRT station is not too bad, much better than I thought it would be. Maybe 10 - 15 minutes all in from exiting the train to the MRT station entrance.

Both Express (3-car, blue stripes) and Express (4-car, one for baggage, red striped) were running today.

I'd say the City Line trains run at ~ 125 kph (estimated by auto traffic on the adjacent highway). The trains are incredibly smooth (accelerating and decelerating) and quiet.

[ExpatJ]

Where does the train end in the airport? does it end in the terminal itself i.e. a quick walk- or do you need to get a bus from the train terminus to the airport terminal? (i only ask since the airport uses buses so extensively to board passengers on planes so i wouldn't be surprised if they mismanaged this one and had a bus link from the train to terminal!!)

[lomatopo]

Where does the train end in the airport? does it end in the terminal itself i.e. a quick walk- or do you need to get a bus from the train terminus to the airport terminal? (i only ask since the airport uses buses so extensively to board passengers on planes so i wouldn't be surprised if they mismanaged this one and had a bus link from the train to terminal!!)

The terminus station at Suvarnabhumi is within the main passenger terminal building on the M level, so a short walk, then up escalators, or elevators, to level 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, Departures (where you check-in) are on level 4, Arrivals on level 2.

Airlines choose to use remote (bus) gates, rather than AOT, for operational or cost considerations.

[tw25rw]

Where does the train end in the airport? does it end in the terminal itself i.e. a quick walk- or do you need to get a bus from the train terminus to the airport terminal? (i only ask since the airport uses buses so extensively to board passengers on planes so i wouldn't be surprised if they mismanaged this one and had a bus link from the train to terminal!!)

It's a level down from where the taxis go from..

[tartempion]

However, the SRT Governor has just announced a very cheap fare structure for the first year of operations which will ensure heavy usuage;

1. The Express Line will have a fare of 50 baht for the first year of operations,

(Every 15 mins and journey time of 15 mins)

2. The City Line will have a fare of 10 baht for 1-7 stations and 20 baht between Phayathai and the Airport for the 1st year of operations.

(Every 20 mins and journey time of 28 - 30 mins)

Both will operate from 5am until 1am.

http://www.prachacha...&day=2010-07-12

I guess this information is NOT correct as usual?

[Lakegeneve]

However, the SRT Governor has just announced a very cheap fare structure for the first year of operations which will ensure heavy usuage;

1. The Express Line will have a fare of 50 baht for the first year of operations,

(Every 15 mins and journey time of 15 mins)

2. The City Line will have a fare of 10 baht for 1-7 stations and 20 baht between Phayathai and the Airport for the 1st year of operations.

(Every 20 mins and journey time of 28 - 30 mins)

Both will operate from 5am until 1am.

http://www.prachacha...&day=2010-07-12

I guess this information is NOT correct as usual?

Yes to a large degree. Very hard to obtain accurate info from the SRT Board on anything new.

However, what I can say having flown back into BKK late yesterday and then taken the Airport Link is;

Service is stated to be running from 6am to 12am (I assume the times will expand an hour each way later),

Cityline costs 15 baht regardless of which station your travelling to, trains are every 15 mins,

Express is stated to cost 100 baht in all the press but the ticket window at the airport had a sign which said "100 baht return" but I didn't take it so I don't know,

Paper tickets being issued as ticket machines are still not ready to dispense tickets.

I travelled to Makkasan which is open but still not really fully operational and caught a taxi home. The walk to the MRT looks to be only a few mins and ok if your with luggage.

The Express Line is only getting a few hundred pax compared with the CityLine which is getting over 25K a day.

Day 1 pax are said to be 633 Express and 26 149 for CityLine according to Thairath, http://www.thairath.co.th/content/eco/105966

[Lakegeneve]

Express Line trains overtake City Line trains at Lat Krabang station only.

Makasan station is very nice. No taxis in sight. The walk to the Petchaburi MRT station is not too bad, much better than I thought it would be. Maybe 10 - 15 minutes all in from exiting the train to the MRT station entrance.

Don't you mean Hua Mark station as this is the only station with a passing loop (4 lines within the station)?

I agree wityh you about Makkasan it does look very nice if also slightly industrial in places. However, given it is almost deserted and until it is fully functional it is hard to judge how well it will work.

It took a while for me to get a taxi (a few mins) and the walk to the MRT at ground level looks easier than I thought it would be (a few mins it seems)

[p_brownstone]

Express Line trains overtake City Line trains at Lat Krabang station only.

Makasan station is very nice. No taxis in sight. The walk to the Petchaburi MRT station is not too bad, much better than I thought it would be. Maybe 10 - 15 minutes all in from exiting the train to the MRT station entrance.

Don't you mean Hua Mark station as this is the only station with a passing loop (4 lines within the station)?

I agree wityh you about Makkasan it does look very nice if also slightly industrial in places. However, given it is almost deserted and until it is fully functional it is hard to judge how well it will work.

It took a while for me to get a taxi (a few mins) and the walk to the MRT at ground level looks easier than I thought it would be (a few mins it seems)

The only passing loops are at Hua Mark station - which is actually not really in Hua Mark, it's at the junction of Srinakarin and Pattanakarn Roads.

Patrick