Thaivisa News Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Bangkok:- The acting chief of Airport Rail Link Co Ltd aims at making profit after it is separated into an independent firm from the State Railway of Thailand. Pakorn Tungjetsakao, acting director of Airport Rail Link, said he is in negotiation with the SRT to separate Airport Rail Link assets from the SRT. If the SRT agrees, the Airport Rail Link will get to manage its own nine electric trains plus seven more trains which are now under procurements. Moreover, the Airport Rail Link will receive an operation fund of Bt1.86 billion that the Finance Ministry has committed. With its own assets and operation fund, the Airport Rail Link will be able to manage its service more efficiently and will start making profit soon, Pakorn added. He said the Airport Rail Link planned to obtain loans for Bt5.152 billion to buy more trains for the third and fourth lots of procurements. The procurements would be completed in 2031. He added that the Airport Rail Link services will be expanded from Phayathai station to Don Mueang airport and from the Suvarnabhumi station to the U-Tapao airport and the company will hire 400 more personnel. Last year, Airport Rail Link had a total expenditure of Bt900 million because it had to buy spare parts for maintenance while its income was Bt535 million. So, its operation saw a loss of Bt365 million. Pakorn said Airport Rail Link decided to stop its service from midnight to 00:30 am after it found that there were only 20 passengers per trip in the period. The cancellation of the service after midnight would begin on April 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post zaphod reborn Posted March 23, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 23, 2015 The ARL could be profitable, but I doubt any Thai civil service worker could make it so. First, they need to abandon the express trains to the airport. Those trains aren't servicing anyone. Why would someone wait an hour for an express train, pay 100 baht more, and only save 10 minutes on the actual train ride? Second, they need to run longer trains. 3-car trains on a system designed for 10-car trains doesn't make sense, The trains are overpacked during rush hour, and they have lost many riders. Third, they need to increase train frequency form every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes. They don't ha ve enough trains now, because they didn't adhere to the recommended maintenance schedule. Finally, they need to sell off the express trains and most of the Makkasan train station, because those are a waste and use the money to purchase more commuter trains. It won't happen with Thai management because too much loss of face. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bkkcanuck8 Posted March 23, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 23, 2015 Drop the airport link and expand the city line. Trying to be like London is not going to work.... It is not "connected" with the rest of the systems, taking the Airport link does not save very much money over a taxi (especially if there is 2 people not one).... They should drop the round about way to get to Makassan station - the long way.... and just build a more direct tunnel with a moving sidewalk to make it seem like it is more connected. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSJ Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 "With its own assets and operation fund, the Airport Rail Link will be able to manage its service more efficiently and will start making profit soon, Pakorn added." Around here the word 'soon' is good for a laugh. Wife to me "How long before you finish on the computer?" My reply "Soon". That was 3 hours ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOC Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 They want to make the ARL profitable?? Yeah sure!! No they want access to the big budget, so they can get their (bigger) share of the pie......... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubl Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) The ARL could be profitable, but I doubt any Thai civil service worker could make it so. First, they need to abandon the express trains to the airport. Those trains aren't servicing anyone. Why would someone wait an hour for an express train, pay 100 baht more, and only save 10 minutes on the actual train ride? Second, they need to run longer trains. 3-car trains on a system designed for 10-car trains doesn't make sense, The trains are overpacked during rush hour, and they have lost many riders. Third, they need to increase train frequency form every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes. They don't ha ve enough trains now, because they didn't adhere to the recommended maintenance schedule. Finally, they need to sell off the express trains and most of the Makkasan train station, because those are a waste and use the money to purchase more commuter trains. It won't happen with Thai management because too much loss of face. Is there a difference between the express trains and non-express trains? I thought they're the same, even their interior. The Makkasan area belongs to the SRT and is highly valuable if under developed. I doubt the split off from SRT will see the ARL 'own' Makkasan. I agree that the express service seems to be a waste of money and should be dropped. Modernising operation should allow for longer trains during rush hours. I must admit do not know the financial difference between running long length trains continuously and running various length trains depending on time of day. Just adapting frequency on need might be easier. In all it's clear more trains and carriages are necessary. BTW the OP says 'seven more trains under procurement'. Anyone any idea how far in the process that is? Any trains actually ordered yet? Does the 'procurement also include just carriages to be able to lengthen the existing trains? Edited March 23, 2015 by rubl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickBradford Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 He added that the Airport Rail Link services will be expanded from Phayathai station to Don Mueang airport and from the Suvarnabhumi station to the U-Tapao airport.. U-Tapao is 140km away from Bangkok down the Eastern seaboard. A bit ambitious, perhaps, but with the PM's liking for large mechanised vehicles which travel quickly, I guess it could be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moobie Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 When I travelled on this system in December the Express Service was not running - has it been reinstated now? (For the record, I find the Airport link useful not because of cost but more the reason that when I arrive at mid-day the traffic jams means that I can save time getting to my destination and also, I can avoid Bangkok's taxi drivers with their 500 Baht fixed fare spiel.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprq Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 He added that the Airport Rail Link services will be expanded from Phayathai station to Don Mueang airport and from the Suvarnabhumi station to the U-Tapao airport.. U-Tapao is 140km away from Bangkok down the Eastern seaboard. A bit ambitious, perhaps, but with the PM's liking for large mechanised vehicles which travel quickly, I guess it could be done. Seriously though, the idea is idiotic - a city railway extending way out into the provinces -- and shows what nonsense officials will talk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpcoe Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Is there a difference between the express trains and non-express trains? I thought they're the same, even their interior. The carriages are different: instead of seating along the sides of the car with a larger standing area like BTS and MRT, the express trains have rows of pairs of seats on each side of a narrow aisle and they had baggage racks. Also, ISTR that there was a separate baggage car for the checked baggage from the now-defunct airline check-in counters at Makkasan? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The express service COULD work very well but is run by cretins. While the inbound service is OK, the trip to the airport is dreadful. It is not unreasonable to have an expectation of comfort for the fare paid but to have to wait in the sauna-like conditions before boarding makes the experience very poor. Clearly they learnt nothing from the success of KL, HK and Singapore in respect of how to manage an express train to/from an airport. Woeful The city line can be ok but AT MOST TIMES it is way to crowded, the aircon struggles to cope with the volume and it is boring. I gave up long ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAG Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 How many of the 9 trains are still in service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searat7 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The BTS should be allowed to run the Airport Link....they already run a high volume efficient operation. Letting Thai civil servants run this line would be an unprofitable joke. I would think they could retrofit the express trains with bench seats; others have suggested that cars be added to the trains which is a great idea. Trains not being used now have been canibalized with parts removed which is a very bad practice.....they had plenty of time to plan the required scheduled maintenance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordblackader Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 When I travelled on this system in December the Express Service was not running - has it been reinstated now? (For the record, I find the Airport link useful not because of cost but more the reason that when I arrive at mid-day the traffic jams means that I can save time getting to my destination and also, I can avoid Bangkok's taxi drivers with their 500 Baht fixed fare spiel.) they're not, and haven't been for some years, which is why ops comment is strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubl Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Is there a difference between the express trains and non-express trains? I thought they're the same, even their interior. The carriages are different: instead of seating along the sides of the car with a larger standing area like BTS and MRT, the express trains have rows of pairs of seats on each side of a narrow aisle and they had baggage racks. Also, ISTR that there was a separate baggage car for the checked baggage from the now-defunct airline check-in counters at Makkasan? I would assume that such interior differences are still within the same (structural) carriage. A different interior should be no problem and also less costly than replacing the carriages as suggested by Zaphod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughben Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I will believe the expansion to Utapao-Rayong-Pataya International Airport happening when I see it (if I am still alive because it could take 50+ years to get off the ground (no pun intended)). What would be the point expanding to there anyway? I could understand an expansion to Pattaya but beyond that??? The current train service from Pattaya to Bangkok is 1 train a day? Would this line expanding even further south get the customers to make it profitable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I will believe the expansion to Utapao-Rayong-Pataya International Airport happening when I see it (if I am still alive because it could take 50+ years to get off the ground (no pun intended)). What would be the point expanding to there anyway? I could understand an expansion to Pattaya but beyond that??? The current train service from Pattaya to Bangkok is 1 train a day? Would this line expanding even further south get the customers to make it profitable? I feel a more regular and faster train service between Pattaya area and Bangkok would do quite well, something like 3 or 4 times a day taking an hour. But mostly we have to use these ancient buses that will detour 20km to drop off a friend! I would also love to jump on an airport link in Pattaya and be taken into airport departures. I have been stuck in Bangkok bound traffic just too often fretting. Thailand does drag it's heels on modernising........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teatree Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 The ARL should be taken out of the hands of the idiots who set up the system and into private hands. I'm not usually a fan of privatisation but the SRL are so incompetent they remind me of the movie 'Idiocracy". I don't see any other choice. It could be so much better and could have been so much better designed if only for a little brain power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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