Milda Manomaityte Editor airrail NEWS

INDIA: With 21 existing air-rail links (6 dedicated and 15 commuter), and 13 planned in next few years – Asia sure is a good market to do business.

The international Rail Systems Asia conference, organised by Strategic Communications, in New Delhi last week discussed these opportunities with a dedicated session, sponsored by airrail NEWS, looking closer at the best practices of the airport rail links in the region.

The dedicated airport express in Hong Kong is the inspiration for the emerging and even existing Asian air-rail links.

The local Delhi Airport Metro Express Line (DAMEL) plans to build on the success of the very popular Hong Kong service. Next year New Delhi citizens will be able to catch the 20 min non-stop train to Indira Ghandi International airport. Although doubts are present whether the service will be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games due to be held in India in October.

One aspect copied from Hong Kong, is the in town check-in facility at two stations. In HK they believe that they would loose around 15 percent of their business if the in town check-in facilities were not be present, something that seems not to bother European airport expresses (Vienna excepted). At DAMEL passengers will be able to drop off their luggage at New Delhi Railway Station and Shivazhi Stadium.

KLIA Express the dedicated rail service from Kuala Lumpur city to KL International Airport are taking this a step further. CEO of KLIA Express, Noormah Mohd Noor introduced the soon to be implemented check-out facilities at Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal (KL CAT). “This is unique system, so we are still trying different approaches to find the best solution for the passenger”, said Ms. Noor.

According to her, the idea is that the passengers could pick up their luggage at the city station instead of the airport after travelling with KLIA Express.

“KL CAT has a three letter code so the passenger, while checking in for one of the Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Royal Brunei or Emirates flight, just needs to say that the bags will be picked in the KL CAT terminal and the luggage will travel straight there,” explained Ms. Noor.

According to her, the existing check-in facility is very popular among the KLIA Express travellers and she would like to see the same with check-out.

The delegates of the conference were curious to know if the check-out facility is just unnecessary. “The idea of the in town check-in is that you can leave your bag at the central rail station few hours before the flight and wander around the city with free hands. But with the check-out there is no difference. You are just delaying the bag pick up from the airport until the city. It does not give any added value,” – commented one of the delegates.

Other delegate suggested maybe extending KLIA Express VIP service would be better idea, when the passenger is met at the airport and guided directly to the hotel with limousine service. The limousine could pick up the bags and the passenger from the KL CAT, thus leaving the traveller the opportunity to take the fast train service to the city and not to worry about bag reclaim in the airport.

airrail NEWS is very curious to know what do you think about the topic? Should the Airport Expresses look at the check-out possibility or check-in is actually all that the asian passenger needs?

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