Suvarnabhumi Airport Link
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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| Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link (SARL) | |
| Locale | Bangkok, Thailand |
|---|---|
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Began operation | ~5 December 2009 |
| System length | 28.6 km (17.77 mi) |
| No. of lines | 1 (1st phase) |
| No. of stations | 8 (1st phase) |
| Track gauge | Standard gauge |
| Owner | State Railway of Thailand |
| Operator(s) | State Railway of Thailand |
The Suvarnabhumi Airport Link is an airport rail link under construction from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the planned City Air Terminal in Makkasan, Bangkok, Thailand.
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[edit] History
The turnkey airport link contract was awarded in January 2005, and construction began later that year.[1] The line is being built by a consortium of B Grimm, STECON and Siemens, and will be owned and operated by State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The estimated cost of the project is 25.9 billion baht.[2]
The line is built largely along the same alignment as the failed Bangkok Elevated Road and Train System (BERTS), started by Hopewell but stopped in 1997 when only 10% had been completed. Some BERTS pillars stood in the way of the new system, and after extensive debate on their suitability for reuse and demands for compensation from Hopewell, SRT decided to demolish the pillars and build new ones[3].
While originally scheduled to be completed by 2006, the Hopewell debacle, an extended bidding process and a series of legal challenges from property owners who had encroached on SRT's land have delayed project. As of March 2008, the line is 78.5% complete and is expected to be ready for service in early 2009.[4] A second stage, continuing along the BERTS alignment from Phaya Thai north to Don Mueang (site of Don Mueang International Airport) via Bang Sue, is also planned.
Passive provision is being made for an extension of the rail link to a future second terminal at Suvarnabhumi airport.
[edit] Specifications
The standard gauge line, forming the eastern section of the Light Red line, will be 28.6 km long and is elevated for most its length, running above existing railway right-of-way, with a short at-grade connection to the airport. Both non-stop Suvarnabhumi Airport Express services and "stopping" Suvarnabhumi Airport City Line commuter services will be operated, with Express journeys taking 15 minutes and Commuter trips 27 minutes[2].
Siemens is supplying nine Desiro class 360/2 trainsets based on the vehicles built for Heathrow Connect services in London. City services will be worked by five three-car trains, and the Express services by four trainsets with a fourth car for checked baggage. The first trains left Germany in September 2007, and testing in Bangkok was to begin in March 2008.[5]
The line will be electrified at 25 kV AC. All stations are being built for 10-car trains, and fitted with platform screen doors. Top speed will be 160 km/h, but the short distances mean that City services will not actually reach that speed.[1]
[edit] Stations
| Name | Express | City Line | Interchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suvarnabhumi Airport | X | X | |
| Lad Krabang | ¦ | X | |
| Ban Thapchang | ¦ | X | |
| Hua Mark | ¦ | X | |
| Ramkhamhaeng | ¦ | X | |
| Makkasan (City Air Terminal) | X | X | MRT Blue Line (Phetchaburi Station) |
| Ratchaprarop | X | ||
| Phaya Thai | X | BTS Sukhumvit Line (Phayathai Station) |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Bangkok Airport Express to change city travel". Railway Gazette International, December 2005.
- ^ a b "Work starts on link to Bangkok's new airport". David Briginshaw, International Railway Journal, April 2005.
- ^ "Removing 25 unusable Hopewell pillars to make way for the Airport Link", Prachachat Thurakij, November 18, 2004
- ^ MCOT English News : Suvarnabhumi Airport railway link set to open early next year
- ^ "Bangkok Desiro deliveries begin", Railway Gazette International, 2007-09-10.
[edit] External links
- Airport Rail Link (official site, in Thai)
