SRT unit prepares Airport Rail Link takeover if CP rail deal ends

S.R.T. Electrified Train Company Limited (SRTET), the operator of Bangkok’s Red Line commuter railway, is preparing to take over the Airport Rail Link if Asia Era One’s current operating arrangement ends on September 30, 2026.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has asked its subsidiary to prepare a continuity plan as the authorities consider whether to amend or terminate the public-private partnership agreement for the high-speed rail project linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports. The Airport Rail Link’s operation forms part of the wider concession.

ACM Kongsak Chantarasopa, SRTET’s acting chief executive officer, said the company was ready to operate the Airport Rail Link but would need approximately one month to recruit personnel and make the necessary administrative arrangements. His English name and title follow SRTET’s official records.

For SRTET to begin operating the service immediately after the existing arrangement expires, the SRT would have to clarify the employment terms, operating conditions and remuneration by September 1.

“We have no concerns about managing the Airport Rail Link because we operated it previously,” Kongsak said.

“However, we need time to prepare the workforce. The quickest approach would be to transfer Asia Era One employees to SRTET so they could continue operating the service immediately.”

Around 300 workers needed for operation

SRTET estimates that it would require about 300 employees to operate the Airport Rail Link.

Under the proposed arrangement, SRTET would manage the railway and remit revenue to the SRT without establishing another subsidiary.

The company is still awaiting details from the SRT on the proposed operating contract, including the scope of work and the fee it would receive.

Should the SRT be unable to reach a decision within the one-month preparation period, it could temporarily employ the existing private operator under a short-term contract. This would give SRTET more time to recruit and prepare staff while preventing disruption to passenger services.

A contract-management committee has previously considered temporarily retaining Asia Era One as the most immediate way of keeping the Airport Rail Link running if the current agreement expires before another operator is fully prepared.

Fleet maintenance required during transition

Kongsak said SRTET would also have to inspect the Airport Rail Link’s assets and assess the condition and availability of its trains before assuming responsibility.

Should the rolling stock be transferred to SRTET, the company would have to maintain passenger services while carrying out urgent repairs and scheduled maintenance.

SRTET could consider temporarily engaging Siemens to assist with maintenance before the trains undergo their major scheduled overhauls.

“If SRTET takes over the trains, we will have to operate them for the public while accelerating maintenance,” Kongsak said.

“Some trains may therefore have to undergo repairs while the remaining fleet continues providing services.”

The transition would require at least one month, he stressed. SRTET also needs clarity over its legal authority to manage the Airport Rail Link and sufficient time to inspect the system’s assets and operational readiness.

Once the SRT finalises the employment contract, the proposal would have to be submitted to the SRT board for approval and subsequently reported to the Cabinet.

Two options under review for high-speed rail contract

The uncertainty over Airport Rail Link operations is connected with the unresolved concession for the high-speed rail project linking Thailand’s three main airports.

The SRT and Asia Era One signed the public-private partnership agreement for the project, which covers the new high-speed line, the existing Airport Rail Link and extensions connecting the three airports.

The Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand has prepared two approaches for consideration by the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee.

The first would amend the partnership agreement in line with a previous committee resolution. Should this option be approved, the project would proceed under the negotiated conditions and the revised draft reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General.

The government would then seek Cabinet approval to revise the agreement’s principal terms before the parties signed the amended contract.

The second option would begin the process of terminating the partnership if the committee concluded that the contract could not be amended. The SRT and the private concessionaire would then have to examine the relevant legal grounds and procedures.

Private partner seeks talks over possible termination

The SRT is awaiting a meeting of the EEC Policy Committee to determine which approach should be followed.

Asia Era One submitted a letter to the SRT on July 6 expressing its intention to exercise its contractual right to end the partnership agreement. The company maintained that the project could not proceed unless the contract was amended.

The current memorandum governing Asia Era One’s operation of the Airport Rail Link expires on September 30. The SRT has said any solution must prevent disruption to the railway’s passengers.

SRTET’s preparations provide the state with a potential long-term operating option, while a temporary extension for the existing operator remains possible if the government cannot complete the handover arrangements in time.