Bangkok Airport Rail-Link Sets Soft Launch For December 5 
Bangkok Airport Rail-Link Sets Soft Launch For December 5
BANGKOK,
Sept 5 (TNA) -- The long-delayed Airport Rail Link project, providing
direct rail service to and from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, will
start providing free service to the public from this December 5 which
coincides with the birthday celebrations of King Bhumibhol Adulyadej,
said State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Governor Yuthana Tupcharoen.
People interested in free rides on December 5 may apply for tickets
beginning October 1 at either the Airport Rail Link office or at SRT
headquarters, he said.
Test runs of the system have been
conducted since February by Siemens, the manufacturer and installer of
the rail system, and no problems have been found. However, independent
engineers will inspect the safety system for the next three months and
if no problems are found, the system will be ready for operation. The
SRT board has also hired Deutsche Bahn International of Germany for
Bt85 million to train Airport Rail Link staff. The board exports to
launch the system on December 5.
The 28-km rail link connects
Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the City Air Terminal in
downtown Bangkok. According to a preliminary study, the fare for an
express trip will be Bt150 per person, while fares for the City Line
commuter trips, will vary from Bt30-50 per passenger. Transport for
airport express riders and local commuters will run on the same track
with the same equipment, but with a staggered schedule. Premium-fare
express services will run on the hour between Suvarnabhumi Airport and
City Air Terminal, while the City Line service will stop at six local
stations along the route.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet has approved an
increased budget of 28.58 million baht for the expansion of
Suvarnabhumi Airport. This is in addition to the original budget of
4.082 billion baht to make 4.111 billion baht. The construction
includes building, station and tunnel under the passenger building in
the Airport Link Project. The Cabinet has also approved a loan of 4.7
billion baht for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to compensate the
construction expenditure to the Airports of Thailand.
Source: http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=11659
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