BANGKOK, Thailand – Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has instructed the State Railway of Thailand to negotiate with the CP Group over a proposed two- to three-month extension for operating the Airport Rail Link before the service is handed over to the railway authority’s subsidiary.
Asia Era One Co Ltd, a CP Group-led concessionaire for the high-speed rail project linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports, has said it plans to return operation of the Airport Rail Link to the State Railway of Thailand on Sept 30, 2026.
Phiphat said the State Railway of Thailand is currently negotiating with the private operator over the handover. The Airport Rail Link arrangement is part of the wider high-speed rail project overseen jointly by the Eastern Economic Corridor Office and the State Railway of Thailand.
Phiphat stressed that the State Railway of Thailand had fulfilled its contractual obligations, saying it handed over 100 percent of the required project area to the concessionaire nine days ahead of schedule. “The State Railway of Thailand has delivered the entire area required under the contract,” Phiphat said, rejecting any suggestion that the railway authority was responsible for a breach of contract. He said State Railway Governor Anan Phonimdaeng reported after talks with the private operator on Aug 27 that negotiations over the Airport Rail Link handover were still continuing.
The private operator has maintained that it will return the Airport Rail Link to the State Railway of Thailand on Sept 30. Phiphat said the government would seek to persuade the operator to extend its service for another two to three months to allow more time for the transition. After that period, State Railway of Thailand subsidiary SRT Electrified Train Co Ltd is expected to take over management and operation of the Airport Rail Link.
Phiphat said the broader problems surrounding the high-speed rail project linking the three airports remain under consideration. He said the timeline for resolving the outstanding issues would depend on the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee, chaired by the prime minister, and he could not give a specific completion date.
