Thaimo Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Suvarnabhumi Airport Link Sets Soft Launch for December 5 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaifan Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 At last!!! Thailand used to be famous for completing projects ahead of time. This project is nearly two years overdue. Whether or not Thaksin was corrupt or not at least Thailand was progressing under his command but since the coup Thailand has just stagnated. When is somebody going to come up with a solution to Thailand's political turmoil? Industry is suffering because Global organisations are wary of investing. Tourism is being lost to our neighbours because overseas travellers haven't forgotten the Airport closedown fiasco and the fact that we do not have a democratically elected Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Better late than never. Glad to see this airport link. Bangkok was able to link the airport a lot faster than New York City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 New York City is not a direct link to JFK. But rather the subway and then switch to a monorail. But still much better than a taxi for the budget minded traveler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 New York City is not a direct link to JFK. But rather the subway and then switch to a monorail. But still much better than a taxi for the budget minded traveler.New York has almost public transportation to JFK. Like you say you have to switch to the monorail, but how long did that take NY to come up with that system? I guess the taxi lobbyists were very powerful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 New York has almost public transportation to JFK. Like you say you have to switch to the monorail, but how long did that take NY to come up with that system? I guess the taxi lobbyists were very powerful. And you still can't get to LaGuardia by rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 And you still can't get to LaGuardia by rail.And New York is a world class city!! How long has LaGuardia been opened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaimo Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 And New York is a world class city!! How long has LaGuardia been opened?The current site of the airport was originally used by the Gala Amusement Park, owned by the Steinway family. It was razed and transformed in 1929 into a 105-acre private flying field. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after the pioneer Long Island aviator, and later called North Beach Airport.The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with a verbal outburst by New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his TWA flight at Newark — the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time — as his ticket said "New York". He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way. At that time, he urged New Yorkers to support a new airport within their city. American Airlines accepted La Guardia's offer to start a pilot program of scheduled flights to Floyd Bennett, although the program failed after several months because of Newark's relative proximity to Manhattan. La Guardia went as far as to offer police escorts to airport limousines, in an attempt to get American Airlines to continue operating the pilot program. During the Floyd Bennett experiment, La Guardia and American executives began an alternative plan to build a new airport in Queens, where it could take advantage of the new Queens-Midtown Tunnel to Manhattan. The existing North Beach Airport was an obvious location, but much too small for the sort of airport that was being planned. With backing and assistance from the WPA, construction began in 1937.[8] Building on the site required moving landfill from Rikers Island, then a garbage dump, onto a metal reinforcing framework. The framework below the airport still causes magnetic interference on the compasses of outgoing aircraft: signs on the airfield warn pilots about the problem.[9] Because of American's pivotal role in the development of the airport, La Guardia gave the airline extra real estate during the airport's first year of operation, including four hangars (an unprecedented amount of space at the time) and a large office space that would be turned into the world's first airline lounge, the LaGuardia Admirals Club. The airport was dedicated on October 15, 1939, as the New York Municipal Airport, and opened for business on that December 2. It cost New York City $23 million to turn the tiny North Beach Airport into a 550-acre (2.2 km2) modern facility. Not everyone was as enthusiastic as LaGuardia about the project, some regarded it as a $40-million boondoggle. But the public was fascinated by the very idea of air travel, and thousands traveled to the airport, paid the dime fee, and watched the airliners take off and land. Two years later these fees and their associated parking had already provided $285,000, and other non-travel related incomes (food, etc.) were another $650,000 a year. The airport was soon a huge financial success. Newark Airport began renovations, but could not keep up with the new Queens airport, which Time called, "the most pretentious land and seaplane base in the world." Even before the project was completed, La Guardia had won commitments from the 5 largest airlines (Pan American Airways, American, United, Eastern Air Lines and Transcontinental & Western Air) that they would begin using the new field as soon as it opened.[10] The airport was used during World War II as a training facility for aviation technicians and as a logistics field. Newspaper accounts alternately referred to the airfield as New York Municipal Airport and LaGuardia Field until the modern name was officially applied when the airport moved to Port of New York Authority control under a lease with New York City on June 1, 1947. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGuardia_Airport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 "The airport was dedicated on October 15, 1939, as the New York Municipal Airport, and opened for business on that December 2." And they don't have an airport link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I take the subway to a bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted February 8, 2010 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 Has anyone had a chance to use the new link? Is it open for business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graymo Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Has anyone had a chance to use the new link? Is it open for business? Not when I came through a month ago... The most recent news I've seen is as follows from end of January. Opening Soon!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted February 18, 2010 Report Share Posted February 18, 2010 Thanks, Graymo for that link. From the website, it looks good and will be a welcome addition to the transportation options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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