Airport Rail Link resumes after second disruption in a week
Airport Rail Link services between central Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi International Airport returned to normal today, July 30, after a power outage disrupted operations for more than 16 hours, although some passengers continued to report delays during the morning commute.
The Airport Rail Link disruption began on the evening of yesterday, July 29, after a power failure affected services between Lat Krabang and Ban Thap Chang stations on trains travelling from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phaya Thai Station.
The Airport Rail Link operator announced on its official Facebook page at 5.17pm that the outage had disrupted the power supply, forcing trains to operate at 15-minute intervals instead of the usual frequency.
The disruption triggered widespread complaints from passengers, particularly office workers travelling home and people heading to Suvarnabhumi Airport for flights during the evening rush hour.
Many passengers commented on the operator’s Facebook page, saying they had not seen the announcement before arriving at stations and were left waiting on crowded platforms without receiving updates through station announcements.
Others said the delays exceeded the reported 15 minutes and called on the operator to provide more accurate information. Heavy rain during the evening further complicated travel for commuters.
At about 8pm, the operator announced that engineers were still working to restore the system. Train frequency was reduced further to one service every 30 minutes, while shuttle buses were introduced to transport passengers during the disruption.
The problem continued into the morning of July 30, with free shuttle buses operating every 30 minutes between Makkasan Station and Suvarnabhumi Airport Station. Passengers continued to report delays during the morning rush hour.
At about 9.30am, the Airport Rail Link operator announced that normal train services had resumed. However, some passengers responding to the announcement said trains were still stationary at Hua Mak Station for more than 10 minutes, suggesting residual delays remained even after operations were restored.
Commuters advised others travelling on the Airport Rail Link, particularly those heading to Suvarnabhumi Airport, to allow additional travel time and monitor updates on the operator’s official Facebook page.
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