The 28-kilometre Airport Rail Link connecting Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the city centre will be fully operational in a few months, according to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as quoted by the Thai News Agency.

The Prime Minister, Transport Minister Sophon Zarum and other members of the Cabinet participated in a special test run of the Airport Rail Link on 4 December, 2009. According to the Thai News Agency, they witnessed a test of the baggage check-in system at Makkasan Station in downtown Bangkok and the automatic ticket machines before boarding an Express Service train to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Mr. Abhisit said the development of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport Rail Link and City Air Terminal Project (SARL) is in line with the government’s policy to develop the city’s communication and transportation system, so as to link Bangkok’s main areas to Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

He said the Rail Link will also help ease traffic congestion in the capital and adjacent areas and raise the people’s quality of life.

The Rail Link connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the City Air Terminal (CAT) in Bangkok’s Makkasan area, where passengers will be able to check in their baggage. Both services of the Express Service and the City Line will be operated on the same tracks at speeds of up to 160 km per hour.

At Makkasan Station, 28 check-in counters will be in service, with four counters reserved for large baggage. The baggage transfer system will be capable of taking up to 300 pieces per hour.

The Airport Link to Suvarnabhumi Airport will provide 2 transit options:

Direct Express Train (SA Express): that will take 15 minutes non-stop to and from the City Air Terminal. The fare will be 150 Baht per trip. This will connect to the city’s mass transit subway system. Passengers will have the opportunity of checking in their luggage at the City Air Termina before boarding the express train to Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The Commuter Train (SA City Line): will make eight stops at the Phaya Thai, Ratchaprarop, Makkasan, Asoke, Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak, Ban Thap Chang, and Lat Krabang Stations, taking 30 minutes to travel the 28 kilometres (17 miles) to the airport and linking with both the Subway (at the Phetchaburi station for the Blue line) and Skytrain systems (Phayathai Station for the BTS Sukhumvit line). The fares will be Bt15-45.

SRT expects to serve up to 50,000 commuters daily. According to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Airport Link’s full-scale commercial operations are expected in April this year if independent engineers can certify all rail equipment within three months. If not, the full service may be postponed to August.

The key airport link contract was signed in January 2005, and construction began in July 2005. The line is built by a consortium of B Grimm, STECON, and Siemens, and is owned and operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The estimated cost of the project is 25.9 billion Baht.