Suvarnabhumi Airport Link Begins Commercial Operation Monday

[webfact]

Airport Link begins commercial operation Monday

BANGKOK -- After long delays in construction and several test runs, Suvarnabhumi airport's Airport Link begins commercial services Monday with special discount fares offered until the end of 2010, shortening travel times for inbound and outbound air travellers as well as easing arrivals and departures compared to existing airport transport.

From Monday onward, arriving and departing passengers as well as relatives or friends seeing them off from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, in Bangkok's adjacent province of Samut Prakan, will save significant time in travelling as the Airport Rail Link project, linking the airport and the Makkasan and Phaya Thai areas in downtown Bangkok, commences operations.

To ensure smooth operations, State Railways of Thailand (SRT) Governor, Yutthana Thapcharoen, inspected trains and other facilities whose construction began in mid-2005, for he wanted to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

The 28km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi Airport in the eastern flank of the capital and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok's Makkasan area, where passengers are able to check in their baggage.

With the speed capacity of 160km per hour, the train will serve eight stations and can cater up to 50,000 passengers daily.

City Line commuter trips, with set fares at Bt30, take 30 minutes to reach the airport and will operate 24 hours from Phaya Thai station. Trains pass through six stations.

The Express Service operates 19 hours daily from 6am to 1am and provides a non-stop journey between the City Terminal and the airport with the promotional fare set at Bt100.

SRT plans to establish a subsidiary firm to administer the Airport Link and will seek Cabinet approval through the Transport Ministry by raising registered capital to Bt2 billion from Bt500 million. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-22

[webfact]

SRT ready for commercial airport link service

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has ensured its readiness to commence the Suvarnabhumi airport rail link commercial service in both normal and express systems on Monday.

According to SRT Governor Yutthana Thapcharoen, the SRT is ready in terms of rail, security, and personnel systems. Both normal and express trains will be available from 6.00 to 24.00 hrs every day, leaving platforms every 15 minutes.

Passengers will be charged a flat fare of 15 THB for a normal train ride from Phya Thai to Suvarnabhumi stations and 100 THB for a non-stop express ride from Makkasan station directly to Suvarnabhumi station, respectively. No check-in service will be provided yet in the initial service.

The given fares will be charged until the end of 2010. After that, a new fare will be applied, starting from 15 to 45 THB depending on the distance on the normal line, and 150 THB on the express line.

During the trial service since 1 June 2010, there were about 17,000 people using the train each day.

-- NNT 2010-08-22

[ihightower]

Any news on Car Parking Facilities in Makkasan or Phya thai Stations... and How much per hour? per day?

Is it available to be used now.

[robint]

Anyone know exactly what the physical link between Phayathai and the airlink station is particularly for someone with a suitcase

how far to walk, crossing roads, stairs, escalators?

AFIK makkasan is useless in that respect unless you hop a taxi but is that a convenient way to get to ekkamai?

[Rajaram1960]

Good news.

[george]

Airport link to charge for rides

BANGKOK: -- The Airport Rail Link will open commercially Monday, State Railway of Thailand governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said Saturday.

The link, opened for public use free-of-charge on a trial basis since June 1, received about 17,000 users per day, he said.

From Monday until the end of the year, users will be charged a flat rate of Bt15 per head for the normal trains, which stop at all eight stations from Phya Thai to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Those using the express train, which won't stop at any interim station from Makkasan station to the airport will pay Bt100 per head. The ticket price will be adjusted after the year-end.

-- The Nation 2010-08-23

[hawker9000]

For those of use who only visit, here's a helpful map showing the City Line and MRT & BTS lines, and the stations at Phaya Thai and Makkasan.

http://www.bangkokmetro.co.th/web/imgcontent/Image/091119-Routemap-in.jpg

[ScubaBuddha]

Could you imagine the protests and blockades by the transport mafia if they tried this in Phuket?

[MickeyM]

Anyone know exactly what the physical link between Phayathai and the airlink station is particularly for someone with a suitcase

how far to walk, crossing roads, stairs, escalators?

AFIK makkasan is useless in that respect unless you hop a taxi but is that a convenient way to get to ekkamai?

A "bridge" is just being built and looks like it could be finished any moment now. Might as well be open tomorrow.

Basically you just take escalator/elevator down from BTS platform to the floor with ticket counters, and walk pass the bridge, and you're on the ticket counter floor of Airport Express.

Total distance to walk between getting off one train and getting into another is 100-150m. Escalators and lifts on both sides.

Hope this helps.

Airport Link and BTS at Phayathai have no DOWN escalators; Lift is very small - about large enough for two passengers and luggage.

[wokkawombat]

Bit off topic but what BTS station is closer to Suk soi 4, Nana or Phloen Chit? Thank you.

[whybother]

Bit off topic but what BTS station is closer to Suk soi 4, Nana or Phloen Chit? Thank you.

Nana. Just. Check Google maps.

[orchidlady]

Does anyone know where you can find a listing of the addresses and map for the city line stations? I am interested in Ramkhamhaeng especially...I am going apartment hunting and to know the exact stations would give me additional transportation options besides BTS, MRT...Thanks.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Airport Rail Link Officially Opens Today

The Airport Rail Link will open commercially today. Trains will be open for service from 6 A.M. until midnight everyday from now on. State Railway of Thailand Governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said the service received about 17,000 users per day during its trial run since June 1.

During its promotion period, passengers will have to pay a flat rate of 15 baht for normal trains, which stop at all eight stations from Phya Thai to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Passengers taking the express train, which runs non-stop from the Makkasan station to the airport will pay 100 baht. A ticket price adjustment will be made at the end of 2010.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-23

[jfchandler]

City Line commuter trips, with set fares at Bt30, take 30 minutes to reach the airport and will operate 24 hours from Phaya Thai station. Trains pass through six stations.

So this info in the original post in this thread is wrong??? Several subsequent posts say the promo fare for local is 15 baht and the hours for local not 24 hours....

Also, in other threads/posts, the bridge connecting BTS and ARL at Phyathai was reported being well short of completion.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link officially starts commercial services

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