The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) chairman on Thursday backed a suggestion to have the private sector operate the Airport Rail Link.
The State Enterprise Policy Committee has advised the railway agency to step back from control of the route link and let a private firm step in.
SRT chairman Tawatchai Samutsakhon, who sits on the committee which is known as the Super Board, favoured the suggestion and said the role of a private company on the line needed to be discussed.
The SRT could either give a concession to a private operator or open the way for a company to jointly invest in the line through a profit-sharing scheme, he said.
The Airport Rail Link, which connects Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport, is operated by SRT Electrified Train Co (SRTET), an SRT subsidiary.
It has operated the route since 2010 and carries an accumulated debt of 30 billion baht, mostly from the infrastructure investment.
The train service struggled to lure passengers in its first years of operation but the number of users has recently picked up from 40,000 in October last year to 60,000 now.
Allowing a private company to join SRTET could speed up procurement of new trains needed to add to the present fleet, Gen Tawatchai said.
The Super Board, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has pressed inefficient state enterprises to improve their performances. The SRT and its subsidiary are among the targets.