The long-delayed Airport Rail Link project, providing direct rail service to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, will officially start its test run December 5 as scheduled earlier, coinciding with the birthday celebrations of His Majesty the King, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Yuthana Tupcharoen said Sunday.
During the test run, free service will be provided to the public from 9 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 4 pm daily all week and train drivers will be technical staff of Siemens, manufacturer and installer of the rail system, as SRT has not yet received test run operation training from Siemens, said Mr. Yuthana.
The SRT board met Friday, chaired by Ministry of Transport deputy permanent secretary Thawalrat Onsira, agreeing in principle to hire Deutsche Bahn International (DBI) of Germany to administer the rail service between Suvarnabhumi International Airport and terminal stations in Bangkok.
DBI has been asked to adjust its management system to match SRT demands.
Changing an earlier agreement, SRT has been directed to renegotiate the DBI contract to maintain cleanliness at stations, the maintenance centre and the overall rail route, as the work could be done by SRT, and also calling for lower fees on the part of DBI.
A subsidiary firm to be initially called Airport Link Co., Ltd. will be established with registered capital of Bt500 million.
The 28-km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport in adjacent Samut Prakan province and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok's Makkasan area.
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. (TNA)
