The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) board appointed its subsidiary, SRT Electrified Train Co (SRTET), to operate the Airport Rail Link (ARL) from February 1, 2027, taking over the service from Asia Era One, a company under CP Group that has operated the line since 2021.
SRTET already operates Bangkok’s Red Line commuter service. The company also ran the Airport Rail Link for more than a decade before Asia Era One took over operations in 2021.
Kongsak Chantarasopa, an SRTET board member and acting chief executive, said teams from SRTET and SRT would review operational data and assets this week to gather information and prepare a takeover plan.
Kongsak expected the review to be completed by October. The findings will be used to develop plans covering staffing, budgets, operations and maintenance. The new operating contract will have a shorter duration and be renewed annually.
The board also approved a budget of US$17.8 million (594.28 million baht) for SRTET to operate and maintain the Red Line for one year.
For the workforce plan, the board set a target of 354 employees from Asia Era One for consideration by the directors. SRTET wants to retain staff already familiar with the system and its operations.
However, the transfer will be voluntary. If fewer than 354 employees agree to move to SRTET, the company will recruit additional staff and provide training.
Initially, SRTET plans to continue operating the Airport Rail Link in the same way as Asia Era One. It will then assess the existing arrangements to determine whether they are complete and meet safety requirements.
According to Kongsak, passengers will continue to use the same trains after the handover. The SRT, rather than SRTET, is considering the purchase of additional trains.
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The story SRT board approves its own company to run Airport Rail Link next year as seen on Thaiger News.
