ID :
198464
Mon, 08/01/2011 - 11:40
Auther :

Airport Rail Link services will continue, says authority

BANGKOK, August 1 (TNA) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) confirms the Airport Rail Link, which shuttles between inner Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi International Airport, will continue operating despite straying behind its passenger volume target.

SRT deputy governor Pakorn Tangjetsakao, on Monday dismissed speculation that the Link would be suspended due to management failure, saying it was normal for a company which had only registered last February to have some “teething” problems, which he said, does not justify any service termination.

Pakorn, also managing director of SRT Electric Train Co that oversees the Link, explained that everything had continued according to the company’s business plan.

Under the plan, the Link would face a short-run deficit in its first five years of operation. The company therefore sought the approval of 2 billion baht worth of capital from the SRT; of which140 million baht had already been approved. For the remaining amount needed, the company would seek to borrow from other sources and was negotiating with potential creditors.

Nevertheless, Pakorn admitted that the passenger volume did not meet the company’s target. He said the Express Line was expected to serve 2,200 passengers per day, but only 300-400 passengers boarded the line daily. He noted since the service was extended to the Phaya Thai station, the daily passenger volume had risen to 2,300. (TNA)

X