Sarl To Where?

[sahibji]

Hi

there is a lot of excitement about the recent opening of the SARL and rightly so after all the waiting and delays. i am however puzzled to the core with the objective of SARL. an excellent concept it without is but please give your views of how useful the system would be if it were to lisk the major train (hualamphong) and bus stations (Southsern and eastern)

perhaps the extensions can still be considered.

sahibji

[lomatopo]

I suspect your post will be about as successful as a snipe hunt. Not sure how to solve your "puzzle"?

The City Line will be a HUGE SUCCESS providing hundreds of thousands of daily commuters from some eastern 'burbs with a a big reduction in travel time. The Express Line will likely be less successful in the short-term.

What are you looking for, exactly?

[whybother]

Very few airport to city rail links are really successful. Only a small percentage of people want to go to/from a central city point. When they get to that central point, they still need to get where they want to go. Certainly very few want to cart their luggage onto the local transport options once they get to the central city point.

Often it's easier, more convenient, or less hassle, to go directly from the airport to their house, apartment or hotel (or vice-versa).

In Bangkok's case, they have made the Airport Express line a commuter line as well, so that will mean the line will be well used.

Until they make it easier for taxis and cars to get into and out of Makkasan (Airport Link) station and onto ALL of the surrounding roads, not many tourists or locals will want to use the Airport Express.

[Lakegeneve]

There are a few issues you need to consider with your unclear query about 'what next';

1) This is both a transport option for the Airport and the growing eastern suburbs, that is a core objective. There are clear needs for both the Airport and BKK is building such a link. Now that the link is in open it helps with supporting expansion plans of the Airport given road access congestion at some peak times.

2) Until there is a critical mass of metro lines in about 10+ year times, the line will not be suitable for most travellers. However, a network has to start somewhere (even if there are many players in the network) and as lines progressively are built & linked into what will be a 12 metro line network demand will grow.

The following lines/exts will come next;

a) BTS Soi Bearing ext - Dec 2011 (delayed by a yr due to an BMA official neglecting to tender the electrical/systems contract before his impending retirement),

b ) SRT Red Line from Bang Sue to Taling Chan (diesal, narrow gauge - which is stupid) - early 2013,

c) MRTA Purple Line from Taopoon to Bang Yai - early 2014,

d) MRT Blue Line ext from Bang Sue to Taopoon (1 station for the Purple Line) - before 2014,

e) MRT Blue Line ext (ring line and spur to Bang Khae) - contracts due to be signed before the end of the year, early 2016

f) SRT Red Line Bang Sue to Rangsit (electric, narrow guage - again stupid) - pre tender period now, 2015

g) BTS ext from Wong Wian Yai to Phetkasem - viaduct built for the last 3 yrs but now BMA says it has no funds to build the 4 stations so the BMA Gov's promise to open it by late 2011 looks very doubtful. Perhaps 2012/3?

A few lines are next including the BTS Saphan Mai ext, the Orange Line & the Pink Line.

The Airport Link will eventually be extended to either Don Muang or Bang Sue with the routing and station location already determined. However, until the future of DMK is clearer and/or the Rangsit Red Line and New Bang Sue SRT Terminal are built, there will be a gap. One of the stupid issues is that both SRT Red Lines are being built as narrow gauge when they should be both standard gauage electric .

Another SRT Red Line is also planned to run alongside to the Airport Line but hopefully it will not proceed.

After that there are another 3 new metro lines planned (Yellow, Grey, Black) but only the Yellow line is certain.

3) Makkasan Terminal (CAT) site was chosen for the fact that land was available there for a large terminal, it is centrally located and the Makkasan Railyards Redevolopment will one day mean that a large residential and commercial area will surround the station. The CAT is both a catalyst for the development of the land and will support it..

This redevelopment will be huge, if and when it goes ahead. One plan from 5 years ago was to build 4, 100+ storey buildings, since then plans has been scaled back but the process is very slow. Similar to the Bang Sue railyards redevelopment the process has suffered from poor policy framework, competing visions and more recently the GFC. However, in 20 yrs time this whole area will look completely different.

4) This line is a spur for the renewal of the SRT after decades of neglect. We see that with the line forming the basis of the planned the Rayong High Speed Rail line (HSR). We also see that with different BMJ pollies wanting to get their finger in the Airport Line pie for what they expect will be a huge cashcow in the future.

[tw25rw]

If they extend it through the airport and south towards Pattaya, it should be a big success. It doesn't have to be elevated the whole way.

[wpcoe]

If they extend it through the airport and south towards Pattaya, it should be a big success. It doesn't have to be elevated the whole way.

...and/or if they link it with the proposed high-speed Bangkok-Rayong rail line.