When will the Bangkok airport rail link open?

[DrWillie]

(Road Runner @ Aug. 23 2010,05:35)

(DrWillie @ Aug. 22 2010,22:59) I have been paying 400 baht for taxi from Majestic Suites to airport. Can I get this for 250 baht?

Guessing that the taxi goes along just past Sukhumwit Soi 1 and turns right onto the expressway then 400 including tolls & tip is about right.

The bare taxi fare could be 250 to the airport but that could only be done when there is little traffic and by heading back down Sukhumwit  left into Asoke and then Petchburi Rd/Rama 9.
Chances of managing that are very small except late at night and most taxi drivers don't know the trick to doing a U-turn at the top of Sukhumwit Rd.

RR.

Thanks for the info!

[Ivor Biggun]

(kahuna @ Aug. 23 2010,09:29) You neglected to mention the lugging the luggage factor...And the smelly armpits factor...

Now I don't go that way any longer, but for 4 or 5 bucks I sure ain't gonna lug my luggage
up and down stairs and fight BKK crowds simply to save a couple of dollars...

You're on a one or two week holiday guys...Support Isaan...Take a taxi...

Not everyone is on holiday though. This will suit some but not others. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong either way. It will be interesting to see a full report from someone who tries the system instead of people second guessing lugging luggage, access, facilites for baggage on the train, etc. Stuck in traffic or taking the train- I know what MY choice would be. It's a shame that with the refurbished rail line to Rayong going straight past the airport they can't have a Pattaya express

[Ivor Biggun]

OK- Bangkok Airport train station is a piece of piss to find. Go down o the ground floor to where the public taxi exit(6/7?) is (following the signs for the train!) Stay inside and go down the escalator to the basement, turn left then right down the ramp to the turnstiles. In the time I did the recce a good few people (yes- some even with bags!!) were headed towards it. Fee for the first year is B100 for the express, rising to B150 after that. Didn't explore the system further as I had a bus to catch.

[Snick]

Decided to take the airport link home yesterday after a weekend out of town.
I only had my backpack, so figured this is as good a time as any (and a wise decision - I would not make this trip with any luggage).
First off the rail link is a level below the taxis, its not hard to find and the walk isn't too bad.
Once you get there the first thing you notice is none of the automated ticket machines work, then you get on line to buy a paper ticket only to discover that you are on the wrong line (the local), and you have to go to the opposite side of the ticket booth to get an express ticket.
Once you get the ticket you go take an escalator down to the train.
The train itself is very good, it reminds me of the airport train from Hong Kong, the digital display to show you when the train leaves doesn't work yet.
The ride itself is the best part, smooth and 13 minutes to Makkasan.

[Snick]

Once you get to Makkasan its obvious how unfinished and poorly designed things are. Getting off the train its not that obvious which way to go, I went to the escalator, but it only goes up to the platform, THERE IS NO DOWN ESCALATOR FROM THE PLATFORM.
Turns out you need to use the elevator, its hold about 10 people assuming minimal luggage. This will be a disaster if the train becomes popular and people bring luggage.
How you can design the station with only escalators going up is something that no western mind will ever understand (even with the help of alcohol or a motorbike accident).
Once you get to the ground level of Makkasan, you follow some quickly xeroed signs pointing to the exit, taxi and subway. There is one more level to descend, and again no down escalator.
The taxi line had only 2 taxis waiting, but I was the only person there, so no problem.
To get to the subway you have to exit the station walk to Ratachada/Asoke, turn right and then cross a busy intersection to get to the subway.
Its not as bad as a I feared, but its still a pain and I would not want to do it with luggage (I would guess 150-200 meters walking - starting at elevator, thru station, to street, to subway).

[Snick]

Compared to taxi I saved about 100 Baht and maybe 10 minutes.
The traffic from Makkasan to Ekkami pretty much erased any time I gained taking the train into the city...but if you lived west of Makkasan I could see it saving you time.

Rail 100, taxi 100 = 200
Taxi from Airport = 250-300
and if you are not travelling alone, any savings is gone.

I might use the rail again, if I only have a backpack, if traffic is bad or rain and if I am travelling alone. Otherwise its back to taking a taxi.

[Road Runner]

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,05:11) How you can design the station with only escalators going up is something that no western mind will ever understand.

Half the BTS stations were without escalators originally so you could say installing them at the start is a 100% improvement!    

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,05:11) ....cross a busy intersection to get to the subway.  Its not as bad as a I feared......

80% of the time the traffic is stationary......  OK except the motorbikes....    

RR.

[Road Runner]

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,05:17) The traffic from Makkasan to Ekkami pretty much erased any time I gained taking the train into the city...

I think you would be better getting the local train to Ramkaheng and then taxi down Soi 71 and right in Soi Pridi 31/Ekkamai 12. Should be roughly 50 Baht in the taxi.

RR.

[Snick]

I considered going to Ramkaheng , but I have no idea where in Ramkaheng it stops. And traffic can be very bad in Ramkaheng also, lots of small lanes.
Anyhow if I did that, I would have missed the chance to make fun of Makkasan !

[Road Runner]

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,09:58) I considered going to Ramkaheng , but I have no idea where in Ramkaheng it stops.

It was good to get a user report about the line.        And make fun of Makkasan!    

The station is the opposite side of Ramkaheng Road from the Nasa Vegas Hotel;- http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=....=h&z=18

You would have to cross the road for a taxi so you either walk down to Petchburi Road or up the map to the next bus stop where there is a foot bridge.
Both roughly 150 yards from the station.  You can cross at the station but it ain't easy.

Looking at the map more closely you may be able to go along Thanon Kamphaeng Phet 7 (the road just south of the station) and direct into the top of Ekkamai.

RR.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

Fuck me, Snick... what a palavar.

Like I've always said - it's great for the staff who work at the airport, but that's about it!

[Ivor Biggun]

(Road Runner @ Sep. 22 2010,15:24)

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,05:11) How you can design the station with only escalators going up is something that no western mind will ever understand.

Half the BTS stations were without escalators originally so you could say installing them at the start is a 100% improvement!    

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2010,05:11) ....cross a busy intersection to get to the subway.  Its not as bad as a I feared......

80% of the time the traffic is stationary......  OK except the motorbikes....    

RR.

Sort of like Phuket- they're digging up loads of roads at the moment to put storm drains in- Doh

[Road Runner]

(Ivor Biggun @ Sep. 23 2010,14:52) ...they're digging up loads of roads at the moment to put storm drains in...

Always liked Thai roadworks signs NOT!

The dull orange ones are not that easy to see in the daytime and I'm sure they are designed to absorb the light from car headlights so you can't see them at night!

Then there are the 'bit of stick in the middle of the road' ones - WTF!

RR.

[rxpharm]

An update story about the Airport Link from Bangkok Post.

Overpriced airport link is 'a debacle'
SPECIAL REPORT: Passengers unhappy with shoddy service are looking elsewhere
Published: 18/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The rail link project between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has turned out to be a fiasco, with passengers paying up to 150 baht for what they say is a shoddy service.


No escalators, no trolleys, no car park and no connecting facilities are just some of the complaints.

Officials have been bombarded with complaints.

There have been complaints that the terminals at the stations are badly signposted; there are no escalators; and there are no trolleys for passengers with heavy bags to use. Other complaints include the lack of a car park and no facilities linking the stations to public transport.

Passengers also complained the train "looks old" and the seats are uncomfortable. Many passengers are also upset by the way the doors to the train shut with heavy force.

Basic technical equipment has also failed.

Permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom admitted the problems and lack of facilities stemmed from the operation's substandard design.

The 28-kilometre Airport Rail Link between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport has been plagued with these problems after less than one year of trials and service.

On March 27, the express non-stop train service of the Airport Rail Link from Makkasan station to Suvarnabhumi was halted due to a technical problem, although commuter trains on the line had been operating as normal.

Carbon brushes _ an essential component in the brakes of the electric-powered train _ that were supposed to last six months failed after only three days of use.

Pakorn Tangjedsakao, acting managing director of SRT Electric Train Co, which manages the rail link project, said express train services were halted after the company ran out of the carbon brushes, which are worth about 100,000 baht each.

Mr Pakorn said it was also found the express train's disk brakes developed cracks and the brake pads were also wearing down faster than usual. The company has contacted Siemens, the contractor, to fix the problems as quickly as possible, Mr Pakorn said.

He said the train must have a stock of spare parts worth about 10% of the price of the locomotive.

He said the trains under the project are worth 4.65 billion baht so the stock of spare parts must be worth about 460 million baht.

But at the initial stage of the project, there were problems related to the budget and no contract was made to arrange for the stocks of spare parts, Mr Pakorn said.

He said the company's executives have asked the board members to allocate a budget of about 270 million baht to buy spare parts.

The service started operating on a trial basis on June 1 last year providing free rides. The Airport Rail Link began full commercial operations with promotional fares on Aug 23 last year.

The Airport Rail Link offers City Line, which runs from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi with a full range of stops. The 30-minute ride costs a flat rate of 15 baht. The Express Line runs non-stop from Makkasan to the airport, taking just 15 minutes and costs 100 baht. Trains run from 6am to midnight.

After Jan 1, 2011, fares for the City Line varied from 15 baht to 45 baht, while the Express Line rose to 150 baht.

Permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom said the increase in fares for the Express Line has led to a sharp drop in the number of passengers to 700 a day, below the target of 2,200, although the City Line still can attract between 36,000 to 40,000 a day.

Mr Supoj said the company earns about 35 million baht a month but its expenditure is much higher at about 77 million baht a month. This means the losses total 42 million baht a month.

Mr Supoj said the solution is to attract more passengers to the Express Line, most of whom are travellers and tourists with heavy bags, by installing more facilities. He admitted that the inconvenience and the lack of facilities stem from the substandard design. Urgent steps are being taken to make improvements, he said.

State Railway of Thailand governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said the SRT has set aside a budget of 646 million baht to improve and build facilities and signposts at all stations within this year.

About 250 million baht will be spent on improving the Makkasan station. Of that amount, 80 million baht will be allocated to build a 130m-skywalk to link the concourse on the Makkasan station to the underground railway's Phetchaburi station.

Deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said the cabinet resolved on April 12 that the Finance Ministry arrange a loan worth 1.86 billion baht for SRT Electric Train Co to help the company run the Airport Rail Link project.

Kantapa Piriyapongsa, an office employee, complained the trains do not arrive on time, resulting in passengers missing flights at Suvarnabhumi.

Rungroj Piyapanuwat, a teacher, said the doors to the trains close violently and the seats in the trains are uncomfortable.

Nuttaya Jaisongkror, a student, said she had to travel a long way by taxi to reach Thap Chang station and that there were no signposts at the station.

Sri-arun Jangtiyanont, an office worker, said there were no escalators for passengers with heavy bags and the lifts are too far away.

No surprises as we have commented on these deficiencies in the past, but once again the business about the spare parts is really quite sad, another TIT saga.

I did take the airport link during my trip last year November - it was still on the promotional phase, and I was able to get from the airport for only 15 Baht using the City Line, which took around 30 minutes to get to Makkasan station. Then about 40 Baht taxi to Sukhumvit Soi 11 to my hotel.

[TTChang]

Khun Eyemahk encouraged me to use the City Link last month on the way back from the airport. Very good price, but wouldnt use it again! The Express saves only a few minutes over the stopping train, but at 150 baht I'd prefer the taxi at around 220 baht.

The 'link' between Makkasan station and Phetchaburi MRT is a joke, wandering off into darkness, up & down kerbs, across a main road, no signs. And I only had cabin luggage ....

TIT