Airport Link’s delayed service strands passengers



BANGKOK, 8 September 2014 (NNT) - Airport Link trains reportedly malfunctioned this morning, leaving commuters stranded at all stops during rush hours.

According to reports, Airport Rail Link staff announced to passengers at around 8AM that trains could only stop every 20 minutes due to a technical problem. Passengers were forced to wait for trains for over 30 minutes.

Additional trains have been provided at Hua Mark station to help ease congestion at platforms.

The Airport Rail Link operator had earlier pledged to remove any trains that have reached maximum mileage to ensure passenger safety, making disruptions likely over the coming months.

Concerns have been raised over the four-year-old train service after SRT Electrified Train Co, which runs the service, admitted that several out of the nine trains have been in service for more than 1.2 million kilometres, way pass due date for checking.


-- NNT 2014-09-08

Preventative maintenance in Thailand; what will they think of next?

The usual approach is "don't fix it until it's completely stuffed."

hope no one missed their flight....what a ridicules state to get into only been fully running 2-3 years

edit:

i meant flight not fight but i guess quite appropriate

Edited September 8, 201411 yr by terryp

Preventative maintenance in Thailand; what will they think of next?

The usual approach is "don't fix it until it's completely stuffed."

Have they been taking lessons from SRT ?

Next step, blame evil spirits and get the monks in.

Let the BTS run this system.....their 15 yr old trains (same manufacturer) are properly maintained so no incidents like this. SRT is totally incompetent.

hope no one missed their flight....what a ridicules state to get into only been fully running 2-3 years

edit:

i meant flight not fight but i guess quite appropriate

It would have been inbound trains that were a problem. Outbound trains may have been delayed slightly, but would have been pretty empty. If you missed your flight because of a 20-30 minute delay on the trains then you're not giving yourself enough time to get there.

Preventative maintenance in Thailand; what will they think of next?

The usual approach is "don't fix it until it's completely stuffed."

Have they been taking lessons from SRT ?

Next step, blame evil spirits and get the monks in.

The airport link IS SRT.

The whole thing, from start to finish, is just another example of why the entire SRT management needs to be fired and the entire organization needs to be reorganized.

....there have been issues with unstable track since 'the great flood'......

...but we have to draw the line between having a job, a title, a salary...security....and actually having to do anything or be responsible for anything...

...the land of pretend....

....there have been issues with unstable track since 'the great flood'......

...but we have to draw the line between having a job, a title, a salary...security....and actually having to do anything or be responsible for anything...

...the land of pretend....

I'm not sure what effect "the great flood" had on the airport link given there was no flooding near it and it's 20 metres above the ground.

I trains could only run every 20 minutes due to a technical problem, how did they add more trains?

(Assuming they mean 20 minutes between trains of course)

The Airport Link is a prime example of the cost of corruption. Poorly planned .... Poorly executed ... Makkasan a bad location and so much wasted space ... they ran empty cars for one year while the MRT and SRT were fighting over who would manage the system. I remember a complete shutdown at 8am in 2011 or 2012 ... I remember waiting at the platform 50 minutes for a train. I think customers are still way down on the priority list in Thai culture.

Delayed, postponed, derailed, flooded out, cancelled, broken, incomplete,

increased cost,missing, stolen seem to be every 2nd,. or 3rd., word in any Thai announcement !

When they show such incompetence in operating a system transit line, forget about high speed trains.

How hard can it be to take one train out of service at the appointed mileage and maintenance it? Apparently easier than finding qualified managers.

Preventative maintenance in Thailand; what will they think of next?

The usual approach is "don't fix it until it's completely stuffed."

Mind you, both BTS and MRT seem to be doing fine.

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

It's near Ekkamai, between Petchaburi and Rama 9.

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

It's near Ekkamai, between Petchaburi and Rama 9.

Very good, thank you for that.

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

It's near Ekkamai, between Petchaburi and Rama 9.

Do you still get that loud bang when the train runs over the point work by it?

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

It's near Ekkamai, between Petchaburi and Rama 9.

Do you still get that loud bang when the train runs over the point work by it?

I know the loud bang you mean, but I don't remember hearing it the last time I was on there.

Typical! No REAL Quality Assurance here in Thailand.

When they show such incompetence in operating a system transit line, forget about high speed trains.

As much as I'm in favour of high speed rail links I have to agree with that, the mere thought of the SRT controlling a high speed rail link sends shivers down my spine.

The problem is that not enough trains were bought on the 1st place.

It seems having an empty white elephant at Makkasan is more important.

If the money spent on Makkasan been used on buying extra trains then the ARL would not be having any problems right now.

The problem is that not enough trains were bought on the 1st place.

It seems having an empty white elephant at Makkasan is more important.

If the money spent on Makkasan been used on buying extra trains then the ARL would not be having any problems right now.

And the reason, teatree? There is more tea in concrete structures than in trains...

Preventative maintenance in Thailand; what will they think of next?

The usual approach is "don't fix it until it's completely stuffed."

Have they been taking lessons from SRT ?

Next step, blame evil spirits and get the monks in.

The airport link IS SRT.

The whole thing, from start to finish, is just another example of why the entire SRT management needs to be fired and the entire organization needs to be reorganized.

Better blame German technology "SIEMENS".

Better buy from China next time.

The problem is that not enough trains were bought on the 1st place.

It seems having an empty white elephant at Makkasan is more important.

If the money spent on Makkasan been used on buying extra trains then the ARL would not be having any problems right now.

And the reason, teatree? There is more tea in concrete structures than in trains...

Obviously.

But some members of this forum think Makkasan is good idea - planning ahead for the future!

The BTS maintenance center is at Mor chit Depot.

The MRT maintenance center is at Huai Khwang.

Where is the Airport Rail Link Maintenance center?. Is there one?

It's near Ekkamai, between Petchaburi and Rama 9.

Very good, thank you for that.

Actually at Klong Tan, right where the small Klong Tan station is (to the immediate west of the Ekkamai overpass over Phetchaburi. You can't miss it

The problem is that not enough trains were bought on the 1st place.

It seems having an empty white elephant at Makkasan is more important.

If the money spent on Makkasan been used on buying extra trains then the ARL would not be having any problems right now.

And the reason, teatree? There is more tea in concrete structures than in trains...

Obviously.

But some members of this forum think Makkasan is good idea - planning ahead for the future!

Makkasan will end up seeming too small in about 20+yrs once it has another metro line linked, is the main station for the Eastern HSR line and the huge Makkasan redevelopment is completed.

This is what is planned for Makkasan over then next 10-20 yrs, can you spot the CAT in the middle render?

Normally, the complaint is that facilities are not built for future growth - in this case that was done but seemingly that is a problem for some short sighted folk.

On the train issue, the SRT had a limited budget approved by the MOF to build the ARL and was only approved to purchase 9 sets. The problem is not really enough rollings stock, it is that the business plan was too weighted towards the Express Service AND that pax growth on the Cityline far exceeded projections.

Although, the SRT has money approved 2 years ago to purchase 7 new 4 car trains (with an expectation that they would be in service by late 2014). The process, as usual has been delayed (blame the last govts Transport Minister) and bogged down by both reviews and the politics of procurement (Chinese, Spainish or German rolling stock?), and the subsequent change in administration .

The order looks to be placed within the next few months. That means no new trains until 2017!

Makkasan will be nothing in the future, just like it is now. The reason its located there was because it was the path of least resistance, building on top of their existing right-of-way. They couldn't even build it for two minutes into the future and provide a reasonable transfer to MRT or a way for cars and taxis to reasonable access the place.

Plans for 10-20 years from now won't get built for 70 years, if at all.

I rode it once for grins doesn't meet my needs. I'll pay more for a taxi