Airport Rail Link (again Sorry)

[coolerking]

I may be going mad but I am sure I read somewhere that they have opened it again from today for some trials, and I am positive I saw a spot on CH3 news to the same effect.

Have searched everywhere on here today for some mention of it but nothing showing up.

Does anyone know for sure if it is up and running, and if it is open for public use, as would suit me a treat to use it next week.

[coolerking]

Guess I must have been imagining things then

[mjperry]

I had heard they were meant to be running a public test on the 26th/27th too. I went for a wander round the station at Phaya Thai and the guys at the information desk there said it had been postponed until the 1st June now with the tests running between 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm.

Lets see if it finally happens this time

Martin

[alyx]

I saw a train two days ago

As for the spots on TV3 I saw the trials and the opening (today) of the Bus route leaving from narathiwat

[coolerking]

Thanks for the replies guys, unfortunately I'll need to be on it about half an hour after they stop the tests at 10am. Oh well back to plan A I guess

[edwardandtubs]

Just give up. That thing is not going to be open any time within the next year at least.

[hhgz]

I was at the nearby BTS station today, and there's a banner with the opening date on it...and it's this year, Edward.

[BODYholic]

Airport Link Starts Test Run Tomorrow

UPDATE : 31 May 2010

The train linking the Suvarnabhumi Airport to the Phayathai area will open for test runs from tomorrow onwards. The general public will be allowed to use the train for free from tomorrow to August 2010.

@TAN_Network

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1030087

[lifedrainer]

Free from the airport to Phayathai ?

Is that the one which goes through Radkrabang ?

Has anyone been on it yet ?

It is said to be open today... *-*That would be awesome ^^

[Lizard2010]

Thanks for the update.

We can only hope it will be operation to full working order soon.

[Crossy]

Note that this is a shuttle service not stopping at intermediate stations (unless SRT have modified the original plan).

[alyx]

It is supposed to open on August the 12th

[arco27]

my standart response for the last four years: Grand opening next year

[infernalman7]

You can now board the train at the following times: (see attachment)

Even though it's a trial but you can use it as you wish for free. Tickets are given out for free at Phaya Thai station and Suvarnabhumi Underground Station.

[hhgz]

"my standart response for the last four years: Grand opening next year"

Since you have been a TV member for less than 3 years, we'll assume that you're not referring to the opening of the SARL.

[FRM-BKK]

Free from the airport to Phayathai ?

Has anyone been on it yet ?

Hi Everybody,

I tried the service with a friend last Friday.

We took the sky train to Phayathai Sky train station, where the connection between the Sky Train station and the Airport link has not been completed (yet). So, you have to go down to street level and then go back up again to catch the Airport Link. The bridge/ramp connecting the stations needs to be completed and is between 8 to 15 meters short. There is no sign that this will happen anytime soon. TIT!

Anyway, we took the train service - the blue line - which runs from Phayathai to the airport and stops at 8 other stations. Although on this trial run it acts as a NON-stop service. From the moment the door closed at Phayathai and opened again at the airport, it took 17 minutes!! The train ran at a speed of approximately 140 KM an hour (or so we were told by SRT employees on the train). The train journey itself was very good, impressive and smooth. The arrival area in the airport is light and spacious.

The picture shows the walkway coming from the new SRT Airport Link on the right hand side and Phayathai Sky train station on the left hand side, with the gap in between that needs to be completed for connection. I think the two organisations are not speaking to each other, so this situation might remain for some time to come!!

The Red train service will run from Makhassan to the airport NON-stop VV.

At the airport, as you approach the Airport Station/train departure area, the left hand-side of the station will only deal with the express service (red) and the right hand-side will only deal with the service (blue) that stops at all 8 stations.

Anybody who has the opportunity should go and try this new service for themselves. Trains run every 20 minutes during the test period. Frm-Bkk

[CDNinKS]

Sorry guys, not being from BKK where is Phayathai station?

[theoldgit]

Sorry guys, not being from BKK where is Phayathai station?

It's the stop before National Monument if travelling from Siam, on the Sukumvit line.

Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited.

[CDNinKS]

OK, thanks for that, now I see how it ties in.

[kerm99]

So, probably a silly question, but i am leaving the country at the end of the month. Can i go to Makasan with all my luggage and use it?

[theoldgit]

So, probably a silly question, but i am leaving the country at the end of the month. Can i go to Makasan with all my luggage and use it?

You could go to Makasan with your luggage, but you wouldn't be able to get on the train as they are only providing a non stopping trial service from Phayathai.

Sorry, couldn't resist, but a number of posters have already said it's a non stopping trial service

[Lakegeneve]

Free from the airport to Phayathai ?

Has anyone been on it yet ?

Hi Everybody,

I tried the service with a friend last Friday.

We took the sky train to Phayathai Sky train station, where the connection between the Sky Train station and the Airport link has not been completed (yet). So, you have to go down to street level and then go back up again to catch the Airport Link. The bridge/ramp connecting the stations needs to be completed and is between 8 to 15 meters short. There is no sign that this will happen anytime soon. TIT!

Anyway, we took the train service - the blue line - which runs from Phayathai to the airport and stops at 8 other stations. Although on this trial run it acts as a NON-stop service. From the moment the door closed at Phayathai and opened again at the airport, it took 17 minutes!! The train ran at a speed of approximately 140 KM an hour (or so we were told by SRT employees on the train). The train journey itself was very good, impressive and smooth. The arrival area in the airport is light and spacious.

The picture shows the walkway coming from the new SRT Airport Link on the right hand side and Phayathai Sky train station on the left hand side, with the gap in between that needs to be completed for connection. I think the two organisations are not speaking to each other, so this situation might remain for some time to come!!

The Red train service will run from Makhassan to the airport NON-stop VV.

At the airport, as you approach the Airport Station/train departure area, the left hand-side of the station will only deal with the express service (red) and the right hand-side will only deal with the service (blue) that stops at all 8 stations.

Anybody who has the opportunity should go and try this new service for themselves. Trains run every 20 minutes during the test period. Frm-Bkk

Yes it is amazing quick and perfect for peak hour travel to/from the airport if Phayathai or the BTS is close to where you want to be. I timed two trips at 16 & 17 mins respectively.

A few points;

1) BTS Phayathai & SRT ARL Phayathai pedestrian connection:

BTSC and SRT are talking but such connections tend to get forgotton and completed as an afterthought. (Remember the short interchange connection between MRT & BTS at Asoke/Sukhumvit did not open until some 18 months after the subway opened. Similar for the Silom elevated pedestrian connection which opened over 2 yrs later).

That being said money is set aside, a contractor has been contracted and it is said it will be completed by end of August. However, I would guess a little later than that as nothing is done on time.

Also, the pedestrian link between MRT Petchburi and the CAT (City Air Terminal) at Makkasan has funding but most likely this will not be completed until mid next year.

2) Rolling stock and proposed services:

The rolling stock being used for the free scheduled trial service are the City Line carriages (blue strip) which will be used for the all stop service as you have said. The Express Line service direct from the CAT to the Airport have a red strip and are a little more comfortable. Express will cost 150 baht and take less than 20 mins, City Line will cost between 40-60 baht and take about 35-40 mins from Phayathai. Once services commence in full from 12 Aug it is proposed to be run by the operator between 6am and 12am. I suspect that may be later changed to a 5am start.

3) From 16 June, Ramkamhaeng and Hu Mark stations will be opened for the trial period and the service will stop at those two stations each way for those in the eastern suburbs.

4) When paid service commences from 12 Aug tickets will not be interoperable with either the BTS or MRT. ie. if you had to catch the MRT, then BTS then ARL you would need to purchase 3 seperate tickets!!!

It is proposed at a later date that a common ticketing system will be in use. However, BTSC and BMCL (subway operator) have been promising for the last 4 yrs to have a common ticketing platform and it is still some time away.......

5) The CAT at Makkasan is designed to be a city check in station similar to HK station or others around the world. However, at this stage check in facilities will not be available until sometime well into the middle of next year as the SRT forgot to order enough baggage scanners (the same type as the infamous BKK airport ones). TG will be contracted to provide the check in staff and facilities.

In future, as many intercity services will be moved from Hua Lumphong, Makkasan will most likely progressively serve as the terminal for eastern lines including the proposed HSR rail line to Rayong. (All SRT lines are planned to be regauged from narrow to medium and electrified over time.)

6) Remember, this line was first due to commence services in Dec 07! It could have easily have opened in late 08/early 09. Indeed, there have been 5 proposed commencement dates in the last 12 months alone. The main problem was that the SRT took too long to contract a manager and operator to run the thing. Thus staff recruitment and training has been relatively recent. There has also been some minor reliability problems with the power system but that seems to have been solved a few months ago.

Finally, we will all get to use the thing.

PS. The line is planned to be extended to DMK using the Rangsit Red Line viaduct when that gets built from the new Bang Sue terminal to Thammasat Uni (it is due to be tendered later this year).

Plans are well advanced but funding and any tender is at least 2 yrs away especially whilst DMK remains in a policy uncertain zone. Or to put it more bluntly the BJT party wants to close the thing down so that BKK terminal 2 will get built (construction money to the party) while the Dems propose refurbish DMK and use it as BKK 2nd airport or as an LCC which is what Airasia now wants.

[rayfoo]

hie, do you know if the railway service is running on weekend also?

[FRM-BKK]

hie, do you know if the railway service is running on weekend also?

The service only runs from Monday to Friday 7.00 am until 10.00 am and 4.00 pm until 7.00 pm during the trial period.

NOT at weekends!

[hhgz]

"BTS Phayathai & SRT ARL Phayathai pedestrian connection...a contractor has been contracted and it is said it will be completed by end of August."

Not a chance. The work has not been started, and it'll take a lot longer than 10 weeks to construct.

[ragandboneman]

Thanks for the info posted on this board, I used the train for free early morning on the 9th June.

About 15mins from Airport to Phayathai, the only drawback I can see is if you have a lot of luggage might be a bit of a bind until the Phayathai skytrain link is in place.

Going to be a lot of unhappy taxi drivers at the airport.

Will be my future transport into BKK from airport for sure now.

Thanking You

ragandboneman

[lomatopo]

I rode the train from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi and back today. We stopped at Ramkhamhaeng and Hua Mark outbound and return. Travel time was 20 minutes.

The train is very impressive; smooth and quiet while acceleration and braking are barely noticeable.

The doors make a very loud bang when they close; the "gap between train and platform" is much greater than on the BTS or MRT. Children under ~ 6 years old will have to be watched very closely.

The lack of a connection at Phaya Thai between the BTS and SARL looks silly. You would've thought it easy to build this but obviously SRT and BMTS weren't communicating. I understand this will be added at some point.

I'd like to see a schedule for both the City Line and Express line trains. Departures every 20 minutes, so a 10 min. wait for either a City Line or Express train, would be ideal but I'm not sure if they have enough train sets and/or the impacts of over-taking make this possible.

I'll be interested to see how much luggage is allowed on the City Line train (3-car, but with some room for luggage and/or standing commuters).

Neither the BTS nor MRT are luggage friendly so connecting to those even with a roll-a-board can be challenging.

Be aware that arriving at Phaya Thai you'll have three levels of stairs down which you'll have to negotiate with bags.

At the airport the escalators down to the trains are a bit hard to find. They are on level 1, near doors 4 and 7, for reference.

Traffic around the CAT at Makasan is usually pretty bad, so most people taking the Express line will have to get a taxi from/to the CAT. (The current walk to the Petchaburi MRT station seems challenging, even without any bags.)

For people who work at the airport, or commute from the eastern suburbs these lines will be fantastic.

[lottee1000]

Some advice if you will...

I have two friends arriving on Tuesday morning at Suvarnabhumi, at 7am. I'm going to get the train out there (reckon if I get the first train I should be there well before they get through customs etc). However, coming back, do you think it'll be worth us getting the train or just jumping in a taxi? I don't know what the traffic is like out that way in the morning, hence my dilemma! I live right next to Ari bts so the train would be handy, although three people, with luggage, might be a problem at Phayathai and then again on the bts. Any thoughts? Cheers.

[Sateev]

Sorry guys, not being from BKK where is Phayathai station?

It's the stop before National Monument if travelling from Siam, on the Sukumvit line.

Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited.

Make that 'Victory Monument'...

[FRM-BKK]

Some advice if you will...

I have two friends arriving on Tuesday morning at Suvarnabhumi, at 7am. I'm going to get the train out there (reckon if I get the first train I should be there well before they get through customs etc). However, coming back, do you think it'll be worth us getting the train or just jumping in a taxi? I don't know what the traffic is like out that way in the morning, hence my dilemma! I live right next to Ari bts so the train would be handy, although three people, with luggage, might be a problem at Phayathai and then again on the bts. Any thoughts? Cheers.

Hi Lottee1000,

I would definitely use the new train service with your friends. Traffic will be heavy coming into town. You could always take a taxi from Phayathai if you felt uncomfortable about luggage on the BTS. Personally I would go all the way to Ari by rail and BTS! It would certainly be very much quicker.

Frm-Bkk