The Airport Link connecting downtown Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport began its first day of commercial services on Monday, with trains now running from 6am to midnight.
Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said the Airport Link can carry up to 50,000 passengers a day, generating revenue of one million baht a day.
“I believe this rail link will help ease traffic, lower pollution and make it easier for the public,” Mr Sohpon said.
The Airport Link’s City Line will run every 15 minutes and the Express Line every 30 minutes. Both lines operate from 6am to midnight.
The trains have a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour.
The City Line will make eight stops across the capital, starting at Phaya Thai, before heading to the airport. The trains take 30 minutes from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi. Passengers using the City Line pay a flat rate of 15 baht for a trip during the promotion period. Fares will range from 15 baht to 45 baht, depending on the distance travelled, after Jan 1, 2011.
The Express Line is a 15-minute non-stop journey between Makkasan and Suvarnabhumi and the fare is 100 baht per trip. However, the fare will be raised to 150 baht after the check-in system are fully set up at Makkasan station.
The Airport Link’s luggage service is not fully set up yet. The State Railway of Thailand expected it to be operational before the end of this year. People with many bags may have some difficulties during the check-in process.
The service has been operating on a trial basis since June 1, attracting about 17,000 people a day travelling for free.
The construction of the project began in June 2004, with the completion date set for May 2009 for launch in August 2009.
Several factors caused the long delay, including flood at the construction site, the State Railway of Thailand’s failure to deliver land to contractor and power supply problems.
For further information about Airport Rail Link service, call the State Railway of Thailand hotline at 1690.
From The Bangkokpost, Published: 23/08/2010 at 03:59 PM
http://bangkokpost.com/news/transport/192521/airport-rail-link-begins-full-commercial-operations
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