Source: Bangkok Post:Online News, Transport 23/08/2010

Source: Bangkok Post:Online News 22/08/2010

To ensure smooth operations, State Railways of Thailand (SRT) Governor, Yutthana Thapcharoen, inspected trains and other facilities whose construction began in mid-2005, for he wanted to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

The ordinary service, known as the city line, would charge a fare of 15 baht and would make eight stops along the Phaya Thai-Suvarnabhumi airport route. The express line would run non-stop from Makkasan to the airport and would charge 100 baht. He said both services would run from 6am to midnight with a train leaving every 15 minutes.

The City Line will make eight stops across the capital starting from Phayathai before heading to the airport. Its fares start at 15 baht.

BANGKOK, August 10 - Thailand and China are expected to open talks this month on plans to jointly invest in Thailand's new standard-gauge rail link and high-speed train projects

A panel chaired by Korbsak Sabhavasu, secretary-general to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, yesterday set up two subcommittees to work out a feasibility study for the projects.

The Thai government wants to invest jointly with China in a high-speed rail line from Suvarnabhumi airport to Rayong on the Eastern Seaboard through Pattaya and Laem Chabang, and a standard-gauge link from China through Vietnam, Laos and Nong Khai in Thailand's northeast to connect with Malaysia and Singapore. A new standard-gauge rail line from Nong Khai to the southern border with Malaysia is expected to cost 300 billion baht. The line would link at Nong Khai to a line China plans to build through Vietnam and Laos.

Mr Korbsak said the high-speed rail project linking Suvarnabhumi and Rayong was estimated to cost 30 billion baht. He said the two subcommittees were required to complete their studies in two weeks. Officials from the two countries are required to complete a draft memorandum of understanding ahead of Mr Abhisit's visit to China scheduled for early next month.

The new rail line would benefit travel through the region as the train network is expected to be built from Kunming through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia to connect with Singapore. The tourism industry would benefit greatly from the new network, Mr Korbsak said. He said the 1,000-kilometre line in Thailand would be developed along the existing State Railway of Thailand track and would take about three years to build.

Trains on the new line would run at 200 kilometres an hour compared with the SRT average of 60km/h. The investment is in addition to 170billion baht earmarked for upgrading the SRT's services and the speed of its trains, Mr Korbsak said. The SRT project is aimed at improving safety standards and increasing speeds on its one metre-gauge lines to between 80km/h and 100km/h from the present 60km/h. Mr Korbsak said a feasibility study for the high-speed train from Bangkok to Rayong would go ahead even if Thailand failed to sign a deal with China.

The long-awaited opening of the Airport Rail Link on Aug 23 will substantially enhance the convenience of visiting Bangkok but a number of critical missing links impede connectivity with the city's mass-transit systems.

Hotels in the vicinity of the Rail Link stations and terminals at Phya Thai, Rajaprarop and Makkasan will gain a significant competitive advantage, especially in the Rajadamri area, as well as those along Phetchaburi, Asok and Rachadaphisek roads.

Providing easy access right under the Suvarnabhumi terminal, the Rail Link is smooth and efficient. The cars are spacious with plenty of room for luggage. Visitors will also enjoy panoramic views of Bangkok, including greenery, housing estates, temples, mosques, malls and office towers.

But at least three problems will impede what would otherwise have been a seamless flow of passengers between the Rail Link, the BTS SkyTrain and the MRT underground rail line as they commute from the airport to various destinations, and vice versa:

BANGKOK, July 21 - Suvarnabhumi Airport's Rail Link commercial services will begin August 23 with special discount fares offered until the end of the year.

After presiding at ceremony during staff training for the Airport Rail Link project linking Suvarnabhumi Airport and Makkasan area in downtown Bangkok, Permanent Secretary for Transport Supot Saplom said he believed that independent engineers will issue the certificate permitting the project to open for service, as all flaws have been fixed, and test-runs by State Railway of Thailand (SRT) workers continue to be conducted.

The 28km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan province east of Bangkok and the City Air Terminal (CAT) in Bangkok's Makkasan area, where passengers will be able to check in their baggage. Services of both the Express Service and the City Line will be operational on the same tracks at speeds of up to 160km per hour. The Express Service is a 15-minute non-stop journey between the City Terminal and the airport with a fare at Bt150 per trip. During the opening period, the fare charged will be Bt100.

City Line commuter trips, with set fares at Bt15-Bt45, take 30 minutes to reach the airport, departing from Phaya Thai, Ratchaprarop, Makkasan, Asoke, Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak, Ban Thap Chang, and Lat Krabang stations, and will end at the last stop of Suvarnabhumi. The promotional fare will be Bt15 for all journeys during this period. Meanwhile, Mr Supot said the baggage check-in system developed by SRT and Airports of Thailand (AoT) for Makkasan Station will be ready for full operation by the year end. The transport official said there will be over 300 personnel working for the Airport Link project.

Concerning setting up a subsidiary firm to manage the project, Mr Supot said he will propose it to the ministry so that the company's registered capital can be increased from Bt500 million (US$15 million) to Bt2 billion (US$60 million). The matter will be then proposed to the Cabinet for consideration.

The Airport Link train connecting Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport will commence commercial operations on August 23, Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said on Tuesday. Mr Zarum said the date was confirmed after consultation with the State Railway of Thailand.

BANGKOK, 28th June 2010 – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will open two more stations on the Airport Link now operating on test run, due to popularity of the service.

Starting on 1 July, the elevated train running between Bangkok's inner city and Suvarnabhumi Airport will stop at Ratchaprarop and Thub Chang stations in addition to the 5 stations which have been opened for free trial run since 1 June. An estimated number of 80,000 people have already tried out the service.

During the test run, the train is operated on weekdays, from 07.00-10.00 hrs and 16.00-19.00 hrs, departing from the terminal every 20 minutes. The trip takes approximately 30 minutes from the downtown Phya Thai terminal to Suvarnabhumi Airport, with 4 stops at Ratchaprarop, Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak, and Thub Chang stations along the line. The Airport Link is expected to be put on commercial service in August 2010. People interested in a free ride can contact service counters at the train stations indicated before taking the journey.

BANGKOK, 14 June 2010 (Bangkok Post) – The Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi has finally arrived after almost four years of waiting. But while it may be the talk of the town, there are still teething troubles and complaints about service and problems at the Makkasan terminal. For those who have yet to travel on the new train, the Bangkok Post sent two reporters on a race to the airport - one by high-speed train, the other by taxi, which many say is faster and cheaper. Both started from the same point at Siam Paragon last Tuesday morning.

Our Airport Link commuter took 46 minutes and spent just 67 baht - 37 baht for a taxi plus 30 baht for a motorbike taxi - as the train is currently free, but it will cost 150 baht once fully operational. Her competitor paid 270 baht, including 70 baht in expressway tolls, for her 25-minute cab ride.

Whatever the result of our amazing race, the taxi/train debate will continue for some time.

BANGKOK, 1 June 2010 (NNT) – Many Thai people, mostly Bangkokians have flocked to test the airport link service from Phya Thai district to Suvarnabhumi airport on the first day of its trial operation on Tuesday. Permanent Secretary for Transport, Supoj Saplom, said the airport link service would provide convenience for people travelling from the heart of the capital city to Suvarnabhumi International Airport as well as lessen road traffic.

Mr Supoj noted that the trains would be released every 20 minutes while their operation would be separated into two shifts, namely morning shift from 7.00 to 10.00 hrs and afternoon shift from 16.00 to 19.00 hrs every day. He said the test run would last for about two months.

The airport link service is now running from Phya Thai to Suvarnabhumi; however. Another two stations at Hua Mak and Ramkhamhaeng will be available very soon, the permanent secretary promised. Regarding the fares, passengers using city-line trains (stop at eight stations) will be charged 15-45 THB while those using express ones (non-stop directly from Phya Thai to Suvarnabhumi) will be charged 150 THB a trip.

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.

BANGKOK, April 29 (TNA) – Thailand's Ministry of Transport has postponed its April 30 soft opening of the Airport Rail Link for safety reasons but commercial service will operate in July as scheduled, said Minister Sophon Zarum.

The suspension followed the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) concern over the safety of commuters who would use the test-run Airport Rail Link service planned to take place on April 30.

r Sophon, however, assurances that the postponement will not affect its commercial service in July. When the political situation eases, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will test rail and safety systems in preparation to the official opening. However, the SRT offers a test ride for government officials or employees of private companies upon request in a group of 100 or 200 persons.

Mr Sophon said that Airport Rail Link’s route from Phaya Thai station to Suvarnbhumi Airport station currently is in sensitive areas which need special monitoring after attacks occurred in the past week, including at explosions at BTS Skytrain’s Sala Daeng station. Consequently the ministry will postpone the soft launch and no date has been set at the moment, the minister explained. The 28-kilometre Airport Rail Link project connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport with the city centre, began the special test run to the public on December5. The SRT expects to serve up to 50,000 commuters daily. (TNA)

The Transport Ministry has inspected the progress of the Airport Link which connects Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok's downtown, and has found various problems. However, they believe the train link will be completed and in operation by July this year.

The chairman of the committee to evaluate the progress of the Airport Link, Thianchot Jongpheephian, disclosed that independent consulting engineers are in the process of inspecting the safety of the Airport Link, and have found several flaws that need to be fixed immediately.

He quoted the engineers as saying that the backup electrical system does not work automatically when the major electrical system malfunctions. What's more, the radio communication between trains and control units does not operate properly, and fire exits also need to be addressed. He said fiber cables should be installed at the mouth of tunnels and more fire exits must be added.

The chairman said related officials must report on the progress to the committee every week, and the upcoming meeting on the issue is scheduled for April 7th. He anticipates that the Airport Link will begin operation in either July or August this year. Transport Minister Sophon Saram said the mass transit system is likely to begin commercial operation by July. He added that the State Railway of Thailand will test the project in late April by operating the train four times a day for three months, to ensure safety. He said the Airport Link is 90 per cent completed, as planned by the Transport Ministry.

BANGKOK, March 19 (TNA) – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will soft launch its Airport Rail Link in April, but commercial service will not be offered until July, Transport Minister Sophon Zarum said Friday.

Mr Sophon on Friday examined the current status of the airport rail link project by boarding a train at Makkasan. The safety system is on target at 90 per cent readiness, according to the ministry plan. The Airport Rail Link will run eight trips to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport in April, he said.

Independent safety and system certification engineers will check the system during the test run and will certificate standard for the trains three months later. The ministry is expected to open the commercial service at the end of July after safety certification. The ministry is considering that the Airport Rail Link (ARL) will first run from Phayathai Station to Suvarnabhumi Station although the connection with the BTS Skytrain (Bangkok's elevated train system) at Phayathai Station is not yet finished.

SRT is not prepared to open Makkasan Station as a terminal during the initial test period because the spacious station requires many additional security staff, Mr Sophon said. A security company has been sought to work at all stations and if the process cannot be finished in time, temporary security guards will be hired. The airport link doesn’t need a spacious station as a terminal as it will increase the financial burden for the SRT, said the minister. (TNA)

The State Railway of Thailand is delaying the opening of its Airport Rail Link after it found the developer Siemens would be unable to finish the railway on time. SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen yesterday said his agency had planned to start commercial services between inner Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport next month, but Siemens was not ready to hand over the system. The opening would be put off for at least a few more months.

Mr Yutthana said Siemens had not installed all 70 surveillance cameras required along the railway. Radio communications do not cover the link's tunnel at the airport and the power supply for the railway was not yet stable. The installation of the cameras should be finished next week, and Siemens would then turn its attention to the radio communications and put in place a back-up power supply. "The power supply is a big problem," Mr Yuthana said. "It must pass tests. Trains will stop if the service starts and encounters a blackout."

He said there were also other smaller problems. He had ordered staff to report any problems so he could alert the SRT board, which would then find ways to solve them. Mr Yuthana said it would take three more months to test the 28km, 26 billion baht system after Siemens handed it over to the SRT. The agency will seek compensation from the German company for the delays, Mr Yutthana said.

It is very unlikely that Airport Link can start commercial operations this April as earlier announced. The service now faces delays, possibly until August. State Railway of Thailand governor, Yuthana Thapchareon, talked to the Thai press after visiting the project, last week, noting there are still three main areas that have not been completed.

They are: communications system between stations especially those that link the system to the police in case of security or safety related incident; installation of CCTV and gate systems at some stations. They will need to be certified by an Independent Safety and System Certification Engineer before the Airport Link can be opened for services.

After inspection, SRT did not approved the rail system and electronic and mechanic system contracted by B Grimm International. No reason for this decision was given. More importantly, SRT has missed the deadline to set up a subsidiary company to manage the Airport Link. It has also failed to hire more than 30% of a required 400 staff who will be needed to run the service. They also require training.

Accoding to the original contract, the rail link was supposed to be operational in 2008, but disagreements between the SRT and its union as well as delays in the handover of land for stations were the main culprits.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum had confirmed the 28-kilometre Airport Rail Link connecting Suvarnabhumi airport with Phaya Thai and Makkasan in downtown Bangkok will be in service before April, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday. The State of Railway of Thailand, which runs the project, is in the process of checking technical systems to ensure its readiness, he said. "The transport minister has confirmed that the Airport Link will be opened before April," said Mr Abhisit.

On Friday afternoon the prime minister presided over the opening of a series of test runs of the new airport train service at Makkasan station and took a ride to Suvarnabhumi airport. The opening ceremony was attended by about 1,000 people including cabinet members and foreign diplomats. A large number of people turned up to get tickets on the test runs, which will continue out until Dec 7. Mr Abhisit also said the government will try to hurry up the implementation of the high-speed train project.

There are four high-speed train routes planned: Bangkok - Chiang Mai (745 km), Bangkok - Nong Khai (615 km), Bangkok - Chanthaburi (330 km), and Bangkok - Padang Besar (985 km). The prime minister said priority would be given to the Bangkok - Chanthaburi route. He had given instructions that a feasibility study of the first part of the route, between Bangkok and Rayong. should be completed in 45 days. The Council of Economic Ministers on Nov 11 also approved in principle the SRT's plan to spend 100 bilion baht for improvement of rail tracks throughout the country, to purchase more locomotives and employ and train more staff.

The 28-km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport in adjacent Samut Prakan province and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok's Makkasan area.

An overseas company will operate the express rail link to Suvarnabhumi Airport for the first few years of its operation, the State Railway of Thailand says. The SRT union has opposed a plan to set up a subsidiary to operate the service, so an overseas contractor would be hired instead, SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen said yesterday.

BANGKOK, Oct 7 (TNA) -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) began its trial run of the airport link railway Wednesday, connecting Makkasan railway station in Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan province. A large number of the prospective passengers showed interest in traveling on the test run of the 28.6 kilometre route Wednesday, according to the authorities, but full-scale commercial operation is not expected until April next year.

SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen said that the test run on Wednesday went smoothly. He expressed confidence that it would be well used by commuters when it starts full operation. Most passengers said the airport link railway was convenient, similar to the BTS Sky Train, but the airport link (Express Line) is faster taking only 15 minutes from Makkasan to Suvarnabhumi Airport. They said they will definitely use the airport link service when they travel to the airport. (TNA)

International media representatives were given a sneak peak at the Suvarnabhumi Airport rail link during the TCEB "Maximize" familiarization last week. The much delayed Airport rail link was originally scheduled to launch in August this year, but it is now on track to officially open in December. During Friday's trial service, guests admired the futuristic design of Makkason (Bangkok) Airport link station before making the easy 15-minute journey to Suvarnabhumi.

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. According to the State Railway of Thailand, the Express service will operate four cars, while the City Line will run three cars. Once the rail link is officially launched fares for an express trip will be approximately Bt150 per person, while fares for the City Line commuter trips, will range from Bt30-50 per passenger.

"A mass transit rail system linking Suvarnabhumi airport and Makkasan train station in inner Bangkok will benefit tourism related business operators, as they can reduce their client service costs," Mr Thongyoo said. He confirmed the number of foreign visitors had dropped about 30 per cent due, and blamed the ongoing political conflict and the anti-government demonstrations. "It is not possible that the number of foreign arrivals in 2009 will reach the 14 million target of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The figure this year is more likely to be 11 million at the most," he said.

The political turmoil had driven foreign tourists to visit neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and China.

The airport link railway is ready to operate and the government will launch it as quickly as possible, Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu said on Thursday. The deputy prime minister, who is in charged of economic affairs, was speaking after a test run of the 28.6 kilometre route linking Makkasan train station in Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province.

About 1,100 representatives of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) were present. "From the test run, I can say that the airport link system is ready to operate," Mr Korbsak said.

ATTA member Thongyoo Supphawitthayakorn said the government should get the airport rail link operating as soon as possible as it would boost the tourism sector. "This mass transit rail system will benefit tourism related business operators, as they can reduce their client service costs," Mr Thongyoo said.

He confirmed the number of foreign visitors had dropped about 30 per cent due, and blamed the ongoing political conflict and the anti-government demonstrations. "It is not possible that the number of foreign arrivals in 2009 will reach the 14 million target of the Tourism Authority of Thailand . The figure this year is more likely to be 11 million at the most," he said. The political turmoil had driven foreign tourists to visit neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and China. The Rail Link will make another test run on Oct 1, in preparation for the planned official commencement of operations on Dec 5.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum's claims he has solved the industrial dispute surrounding the embattled airport rail link have left the SRT and the powerful rail union baffled. Mr Sophon said he had held "informal negotiations" with a leading State Railway of Thailand unionist over the Suvarnabhumi airport rail project. He said the talks had led to an agreement that the union would allow the Airport Rail Link project to be set up as part of a new SRT subsidiary.

However, SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen yesterday said he was not aware of any talks between the minister and the union. SRT union leader Sawit Kaewwan also denied the workers had reached an agreement with the ministry. But Mr Sophon insisted the issue had been settled. "I have reached an agreement with the union representative, whom I did not want to identify by name," Mr Sohpon said. "The talk led to an understanding and the union agreed to soften its position."

he union previously wanted the debt-ridden railway agency to set up a business unit to handle the new project to make sure it would remain under the SRT's direct control. But under the SRT's restructuring plan, the agency is to set up a subsidiary responsible for commercial and freight services.

The Airport Rail Link will operate the test run on October 1, in preparation for official operation commencement on Dec 5 as planned.Yuthana Thapcharoen, governor of the State Railway of Thailand, said on Monday that the public is invited to join the test run, with the tickets available at the Makkasan office or SRT public relations office.

The train that connects Suvarnabhumi Airport and the city terminal in Makkasan will open for the public once a week. After it is open for commercial operations, the train will charge maximum Bt150 for the express line and Bt15-Bt40 for the city line.

BANGKOK, Sept 5 (TNA) -- The long-delayed Airport Rail Link project, providing direct rail service to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, will start providing free service to the public from this December 5 which coincides with the birthday celebrations of His Majesty the King, 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, Mr. Yuthana 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, Mr Yuttana added. The 28-km rail link connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport in adjacent Samut Prakan province and the City Air Terminal in Bangkok's Makkasan area.

The Airport Rail Link is owned and will be operated by SRT, through a subsidiary company, which will administer the overall operations. 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. (TNA)

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said on Wednesday the stalemate in talks between State Railway of Thailand executives and union leaders may delay the planned opening on Dec 5 of the Airport Rail Link project connecting the capital city and Suvarnabhumi airport.

The SRT plans to recruit new staff to operate the airport link, but the labour union rejected the plan. The union said it would offer better management and efficiency. Mr Sohpon said if the two sides could not reach a settlement on this matter the start of the Airport Rail Link operation on Dec 5 might be delayed. He called for both sides to adhere to the interests of the SRT and the country.

The prime minister has told other countries that the airport rail link would be opened in December, he said.

The future of the State Railway of Thailand rests with Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart after the final round of negotiations with its powerful union failed to make any headway. The main stumbling block between SRT executives and union leaders is the management model for the Airport Rail Link project connecting the city to Suvarnabhumi airport. The link, due to start on Dec 5, is seen as the most promising aspect of the SRT's future.

The cabinet last month agreed to the restructuring of the SRT but only if the plan was backed by the union. It would see the SRT separated into two subsidiary firms handling asset management and services. The airport link would be under the service firm. While existing SRT staff would be responsible for passenger and freight services under the proposed new structure, the SRT plans to recruit new staff to operate the airport link.

The SRT board yesterday held firm on the plan, saying it would offer better management and more efficiency. The labour union rejected the plan, saying the airport link should be run as a business unit within the SRT instead of under a new subsidiary. SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said no more talks would be held with the union as it was pointless. The union has accused the SRT of having a hidden agenda with future plans to privatise profit-making businesses. SRT executives have denied the suggestion.

The SRT will present its position and the union's argument to a committee chaired by Maj Gen Sanan for a decision. Despite the conflict between the executives and the union, the SRT governor was confident the launch of the new railways system would go ahead. SRT union leader Sawit Kaewwan said the union wanted the Airport Rail Link operators to come under the SRT because that would provide an assurance that business units would not be privatised in the future. Mr Sawit insisted the union's resistance to the SRT plan to set up subsidiaries would not delay the launch of the system.

He did not say what the union would do if its proposal was rejected by the Sanan panel. Its strike in late June in opposition to the restructuring left 200,000 passengers stranded and caused the SRT 16 million baht in losses. The Finance Ministry yesterday warned the labour union that more strikes could badly hurt the SRT. Passengers would become frustrated and switch to other transport services, said Areepong Bhoocha-oom, the director-general of the ministry's State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo).

Mr Areepong said the railway system made up just 2% of the country's available transport services. Therefore if SRT staff went on prolonged strike, the service could lose out to other kinds of services. Eventually, the SRT would lose more of its already small number of customers, he said. The Sepo chief said the SRT restructuring must go ahead. Under the restructuring plan, the government would invest about 195 billion baht in the enterprise's business operations from 2010 to 2014. It expects to give the state railway at least 40 billion baht a year.

The investment is in the national interest as Thailand needs to improve its rail transport facilities, Mr Areepong said. "I hope that SRT staff will agree with the investment plan. It's because the SRT's performance over the past 10 years has clearly proved to be ineffective," he said. The country could no longer afford to delay the upgrading of the SRT, Mr Areepong said.

aiyavat Navaraj, area station manager for Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives at Austrian Airlines and chairman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), said the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) had confirmed to the AOC it would conduct a full trial of the system from December. The test will take three months to complete. If all goes smoothly, the Airport Rail Link will begin official operations next March.

Some 160 representatives of the AOC, which consists of 81 airlines and 21 non-airline agencies, yesterday participated in an SRT test run held to demonstrate the rail-link system to members. The elevated system will link Suvarnabhumi Airport with the City Air Terminal in Bangkok's Makkasan area. A non-stop express train will cost Bt150, while the City Line, which will stop at each station, will cost Bt15 to Bt45, depending on distance travelled.

International airlines urged the government to ensure that the long-delayed airport link project is up and running at its latest promised date in order to complement efforts to make Suvarnabhumi Airport an air hub. "The sooner the system is opened, the better,'' said Jaiyavat Navaraj, chairman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents more than 80 international airlines operating through Suvarnabhumi. The 26-billion-baht rapid transit system that stretches 28 km from Bangkok's international airport to Makkasan has suffered multiple delays.

Current opposition by the State Railway of Thailand's union to setting up a subsidiary company to operate the line has created doubts about whether it can start operations by the second quarter of next year, the latest promised date. The system will provide an efficient transport option between Suvarnabhumi and the city centre for some 50,000 passengers and 15,000 airline staff and airport workers who need to commute every day and endure the frustrations of long bus waits and unscrupulous taxi drivers, said Mr Jaiyavat.

But Walter Gintschel, the operation specialist for the airport link system, expressed confidence on Tuesday that the system would be ready for a trial run in early December this year, a process that takes about three months, before the line opens for public service in April. System contractors B.Grimm, Siemens and Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction are putting the final touches on the system and the train is actually running back and forth to test the line, the German train expert said.

Many of the nearly 180 international airline staff who were given the chance to try the rail system from the airport to Makkasan on Tuesday morning said they were pleased with the train's performance and are looking forward to using it soon. The government has tentatively fixed the airport rail link fare at 150 baht per person per trip on the express line, which does not make stops between the airport and Makkasan city terminal, a journey that takes 15 minutes.

The planned fare for the city line, which stops at the six stations along the way with a total running time of 30 minutes, is 45 baht for a single ride.

The opening of the high-speed rail link between Suvarnabhumi Airport |and inner Bangkok, scheduled for December 5, could be further delayed following this week's strike by railroad workers. Hundreds of State Railway of Thailand employees returned to work yesterday evening after paralysing much of the national rail service for 36 hours. Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said the SRT labour union had agreed to end the strike following the government's pledge that the union would participate in reorganising the money-losing state agency.

The SRT is in the process of setting up two wholly owned companies: one for train operations and the other for real-estate management. The company in charge of train operations will be responsible for running the 28.6-kilometre Airport Rail Link, which is due to open in December. "I'm not sure if the rail link can still be opened as scheduled, because the process to form the SRT company will be halted until negotiations between the SRT union and the agency's top management are concluded," Transport Minister Sophon Saram said yesterday.

He said he hoped the talks would not be protracted and could be concluded within two weeks, or else the SRT would face greater financial damage. The country's international image would also take a further hit if the multibillion-baht elevated rail service between Suvarnabhumi Airport and the inner city did not start operation as scheduled, he added. The high-speed rail service between the international airport - located in the suburbs of Bangkok - and Makkasan Station was originally due to open in August, but construction delays led to a postponement.

Leaders of the SRT union, which went on a selective wildcat strike on Monday morning, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of commuters, said they were concerned the SRT would further privatise other routes of the national rail service. Yesterday, the union entered into a memorandum of understanding with the government to end the strike on condition there be further negotiations between the two sides over the SRT's reorganisation. The SRT has been losing money for years, with accumulated losses amounting to more than Bt70 billion. Sanan said the SRT management would have to hold talks with the union, as the latter still lacked a clear understanding of the reorganisation plan aimed at boosting the agency's efficiency and reducing its chronic losses.

Sawit Kaewwan, president of the SRT union, said rail workers had needed to take the drastic action of the past two days in order to achieve the union's objective, even though many commuters were left stranded as a result. Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Pataraprasit said the SRT needed to be reorganised quickly, because the government had committed to investing Bt170 billion in more railroad projects over the next few years.

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the business plan for train services, including the December 5 launch of airport link project between Suvarnabhumi Airport and the inner city areas at Makkasan and Phyathai.

The trial period for the airport link service will last three months and the full service is expected to start in March, Transport deputy permanent secretary Thawanrat Onsira said. The construction for the airport link service is about 98 per cent completed and the remaining work is for testing the operation system.

The Minister of Transport, Sophon Zarum, and the chairman of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Youtdana Tupcharoen, were among those onboard for the first trip on 12 February. In the course of this year, the light rail transit line will connect the city centre and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. The multiple-unit express train is based on the Desiro UK built by Siemens. In 2005, SRT placed an order with Siemens Mobility and two Thai companies - B Grimm Group and Sino Thai Engineering and Construction (Stecon) - to build the rail link.

The project involved the construction of a new 28km-long route and a station in the city centre. Siemens and B Grimm were responsible for developing, supplying and installing the entire electrical and mechanical parts of the project. This included track construction, vehicles, signaling systems, the power supply, a communication system, fare management, tunnel equipment, depot and workshop equipment, check-in systems and baggage management. Most of the line is elevated, with just under 1km underground. The Suvarnabhumi Airport Express will run non-stop on the 25.7km route between the airport and the capital.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport City Line, which runs on the same tracks, is 28.5km long and extends further into the inner city. It has six scheduled stops and ends at Phaya Thai Station, where passengers can transfer to the Bangkok Skytrain. The first of a total of five City Line trains have already completed successful test runs at a maximum speed of 160km/h. These took place on January 18, 2009, between Klong Ton Depot and Suvarnabhumi Airport Station, just one day after the 69V traction substation and the 25kV overhead catenary line had been energised successfully.

The system will be officially handed over to the State Railway of Thailand when further system tests and system integration tests have been carried out.