Airport Rail Link delays stretch into evening

Derailment at depot blocks track, services reduced to one train per hour

PUBLISHED : 22 Jul 2026 at 18:30

UPDATED : 22 Jul 2026 at 19:03

Commuters at an Airport Rail Link station on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Department of Rail Transport)

Services on the Airport Rail Link that connects Suvarnabhumi airport and inner Bangkok were still reduced to one train per hour on Wednesday evening after a derailment at the Khlong Tan depot.

A four-car train went off the rails at 12.47am, blocking the only route in and out of the maintenance facility, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said.

Officials were investigating the cause of the derailment and the extent of any damage, SRT governor Anan Phonimdaeng said.

Mr Anan said the SRT deployed seven special trains, including third-class diesel locomotives and air-conditioned carriages, to support commuters on the Lat Krabang-Makkasan-Hua Lamphong route in the morning.

The SRT also contacted the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) to provide shuttle buses between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Makkasan Station to help reduce user density at both sites, he added.

The commuter line is operated by a subsidiary of the state agency, SRT Electrified Train Co.

The time between trains on the 28-kilometre route is normally 10 to 15 minutes, but only one train remained operational and the frequency was one train per hour.

The operator said it had coordinated with other agencies to increase the number of buses to accommodate passengers during the evening commute. The public was advised to check the ARL Facebook page for updates.

The company also requested that passengers buy tokens at stations because the EMV payment system, which accepts payment with credit and debit cards, was also non-operational.