Bangkok Airport Rail Link (ARL): Updates, Advice, Discussion
 

Welcome to the Bangkok ARL discussion thread. Because the very lengthy original thread was becoming a bit unwieldy and largely outdated, pre-2014 posts have been archived here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thail...?highlight=ARL

Thanks!

Bangkok Airport Rail Link (ARL) Updates and Discussion
 

Just out of interest the ARL is currently averaging around 50-55K pax a day.

On 9 Dec when there was a large protest it had the largest ever pax numbers of 71K (69.5K Cityline & 1.5k Express)

Most likely those figures were exceeded on 13 Jan when the Bangkok Shutdown protest commenced - many protestors use the ARL and many drivers used metros that day. However, the SRTET has not released those figures as yet.

Oh and for those that missed it, since 1 Oct the Phaya Thai Express no longer runs in the mornings, starts at 10am. This allows Express sets to run as Cityline services.
http://srtet.co.th/en/11_time_table/...s_pth-svb.html

http://srtet.co.th/en/index.html

Oh and another update I should post (haven't checked here for a few months) is that in the first week of Dec Cabinet approved the purchase of 7 new, 4 car sets for 4.86 billion baht. (The 2nd time Cabinet has approved this purchase).

Given that the SRT & MOT has wasted nearly 18 months since the money was first allocated it is going to be many, many more overcrowded journeys to endure before we see new rolling stock. (In fact one of the current 9 sets is out of action)

SRT is looking at CNR, Chinese and Siemens trains. Much disquiet about the CNR possibility. However, any none Siemens purchase would also involve changing the singalling system from a Siemens system ot an open system to allow other rollling stock.

Related to that issue is that the HSR line to Rayong will use the ARL. However, with the 2.2 trillion baht funding bill of new metros and HSR lines having lapsed with the dissolution of parliament in Dec, nothing will progress on the HSR front for some time. The current political battle has resulted in 3 new metros line which were to be tendered in late 2013 being delayed to at least 2014 (Pink lin, Orange line and the ARL ext to DMK - though with the former two there were also some design issues to resolve).

A little caution about Phaya Thai. A lot of people want to connect from ARL to BTS at Phaya Thai. But BTS is not really set up to accomodate people with luggage. Most stations don't have "down" escalators so you end up trying to figure out how to get your bags down several flights of stairs. And if you take BTS during rush hour it may be too crowded to get your bags into the trains.

And throngs of people somehow manage to do so even without these accommodations. All stations have an elevator though having it working is a lottery unto itself. I do agree that rush hour might not be the proper time to carry on significant luggage but again people do it everyday and somehow survive to tell the tale... and rush hour is exactly when I don't want to be trapped in rot tit in a taxi.

All good points.

On my last trip BTS wasn't running anymore, so just took a taxi from there to the hotel and saved some money while arriving in about the same time (OK, for you sticklers for time it did take a little longer, but not much.

And no I would not want to take luggage (which I don't have as I'm a carryon only kind of guy) on BTS during rush hour :eek:

Many times of the day a taxi from the airport will be quicker than the ARL/BTS combo but the latter will be cheaper.

I have taken a bag onto BTS in a pinch and have seen many others do the same, both Thai and foreigners. It's not the best, it's not hassle free, heck, it's not even comfortable, but it does work efficiently.

Yes this has been a much discussed problem since the ARL opened over 3 years ago - including many times on this and other threads. One of the patent design problems. (I've made the point here and elsewhere that the BTS opened with about 40% of the current escalators that the network now has. The rest were progressively installed).

The obvious problem at Phaya Thai as a terminus station is that there was only the one up escalator for pax so there was always a crowd when everyone disembarked , esp for those with bags. Most with large or heavy luggage use the elevator even if they have to wait.....

One set of extra escalators have actually been installed at Phaya Thai, Ratchaprarop and Ram stations over the last 18 months. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time as many things do in Thailand.

10 more escalators will be installed in the next 6 months (realistically, make that 12+ months);
Hua Mark - 3
Lat Krabang - 4
Ban Thap Chang - 4

When I travel on the Tube in London, Madrid Metro or the Paris Metro with luggage I regularly have to carry my large trolley bag up & down stairs when interchanging or entering/exiting certain stations. I accept that as part of the experience....

Just did BKK-Asoke (RT) City Line & it took 90 mins both times from/to my hotel. That's about what the longest taxi ride I've ever taken was during the height of Rush Hr was (+ all the sweat). It's definitely better psychologically to be on the move on ARL & BTS than sitting on the Tollway for 30 mins waiting to get down to Ploenchit I suppose. 2 people save about $5 if they walk to their hotel to/from BTS. I am quite fit and was carrying just a smallish backpack & I still found it a pain in the *ss. Is it any better to get off at Makkasan and jump on MRT ?

To Asok? Aboslutely! Mrs d2 doesn't care for that route but it's much quicker in my book... and less hassle with the newish flyover.

Ditto to what ds posted.

Basically, you are travelling 7 extra stations and an extra 20 mins. Your route heads west and then you make your way back south east. http://www.bts.co.th/customer/en/02-route-current.aspx

Alight at Makkasan and it is only 1 stop directly south to Asoke!

Thank you both. On the way into town I almost jumped out, but I played it safe. On the way to BKK, I was going to take MRT, but there was no Makkasan Station on the wall maps & I chickened out & went upstairs.

That's because it's the Phetchaburi station ;)

The way I remember it is that it's the station AFTER Sukhumvit/Asok, and since I normally come from falang ghetto area, it's one stop on Skytrain, one stop on MRT, and all the way to the end to BKK.

Then again, when I HAD a chance to do this, it was too early and had to take a taxi to Makkasan, which was still cheaper that taxi to BKK, and not much longer @:-)

Yup, Petchaburi, 16Baht from Sukhumvit and one stop.

EMK get out of Nana post haste! 'Cause there's no way you're calling Phrom Pong a 'farang ghetto'.

My expereince of grabbing a taxi to Makkasan when at Aloft is to walk on the street between 11 and 13. A taxi in motion would quickly be happy to take the fare even if it was a small one.