SRT plans contingency for Airport Rail Link handover after exit notice

The Airport Rail Link in Thailand may experience a temporary extension of two to three months during the transition of service management, as the private operator seeks to halt operations after September 30, according to Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is in negotiations to extend the current operator's services, allowing time for a smooth transition.

If the private operator confirms the handover will occur as initially planned, SRT's subsidiary, S.R.T. Electrified Train Company Limited (SRTET), will assume management immediately. However, if the operator reneges on the agreement, the SRT board is considering hiring a private company to manage train operations for six months to a year, pending final decisions.

The Ministry of Transport, responsible for the SRT, confirms that the state railway complied with the project handover deadline. The matter of the project's value for money or any agreement to continue the work falls under the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul emphasized that a private operator cannot unilaterally terminate the agreement, as the situation arose following CP Group-led consortium's attempts to end their involvement in the three-airport high-speed rail contract.