20 killed after train collides with bus in Thailand

[worrab]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

With regard to the train 'not stopping', it did stop but the driver, knowing the length of his consist would have made sure his last car was clear of the accident site.

Find this to be a strange comment. The train driver should have "dropped the handle". In other words applied the emergency brake immediately a collision was imminent. I know TIT but from an investigation point of view wherever the train comes to a stand it stays there and all the controls are left in position. You should never attempt to move after a crash/derailment/suicide!

[mran66]

13 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Condolences to the berieved, RIP to the dead and may the injured make a speedy and full recovery. 

I always wonder who writes these reports: "Train collides with bus". Unless the train had first derailed, the bus collided with the train. 

 

 

 

 

... I think the answer to your question is same as to the question of why headlines in Thailand typically say '... Car or motorcycle lost control (of the road) and hit electric pole. ..' whereas it should have said '... driver lost control of the car/motorcycle...' . 

 

I think answer lies in thai culture i.e It is to indirectly shift the fault or blame to someone else than the quilty, let it be rain, brakes, bridge, dog, cat, electric pole, road, train, moon, sun, bad amulet etc - anything but the person who caused the event that will not challenge the shift of blame

 

This seems to be something very strong in a way that even foreign language media incl their farang writers assimilate very quickly as see the notion being used as the normal expression to describe these events... Or maybe it is one of those non-written instructions given to follow if you want to keep your media license...only people in the business know how. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by mran66

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

it was hit by a freight train

My apologies if this has been previously corrected, but the train was carrying passengers, not freight. It was a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train as can be seen in CCTV footage from the scene now widely circulating on International media. No mention of fatalities or injuries among the train passengers so far. The crash was horrendous and I will not paste a copy of the CCTV footage in respect for the victims. For those who may be interested just perform a Google search on "bus and train crash thailand" and you will find a You Tube video posted by "Euro News" (for starters). The double deck bus looked quite new and was being followed by another. The bus slowly entered the uneven "crossing" road and appeared to make cumbersome progress before stopping on the track. The approaching DMU can be clearly seen approaching fast and smashing into the front portion of the bus, spinning it around in a cloud of dust and debris. RIP all victims and speedy recoveries to the others.

[KhaoNiaw]

4 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

My apologies if this has been previously corrected, but the train was carrying passengers, not freight. 

It's very clearly a freight train. There was some footage that included a passenger train that I think came along afterwards.

Edited October 12, 2020 by KhaoNiaw

[worrab]

17 minutes ago, mran66 said:

 

... I think the answer to your question is same as to the question of why headlines in Thailand typically say '... Car or motorcycle lost control (of the road) and hit electric pole. ..' whereas it should have said '... driver lost control of the car/motorcycle...' . 

 

I think answer lies in thai culture i.e It is to indirectly shift the fault or blame to someone else than the quilty, let it be rain, brakes, bridge, dog, cat, electric pole, road, train, moon, sun, bad amulet etc - anything but the person who caused the event that will not challenge the shift of blame

 

This seems to be something very strong in a way that even foreign language media incl their farang writers assimilate very quickly as see the notion being used as the normal expression to describe these events... Or maybe it is one of those non-written instructions given to follow if you want to keep your media license...only people in the business know how. 

See my reply to Moo 2 which is #220.

[KhaoNiaw]

9 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

My apologies if this has been previously corrected, but the train was carrying passengers, not freight. It was a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train as can be seen in CCTV footage from the scene now widely circulating on International media. No mention of fatalities or injuries among the train passengers so far. The crash was horrendous and I will not paste a copy of the CCTV footage in respect for the victims. For those who may be interested just perform a Google search on "bus and train crash thailand" and you will find a You Tube video posted by "Euro News" (for starters). The double deck bus looked quite new and was being followed by another. The bus slowly entered the uneven "crossing" road and appeared to make cumbersome progress before stopping on the track. The approaching DMU can be clearly seen approaching fast and smashing into the front portion of the bus, spinning it around in a cloud of dust and debris. RIP all victims and speedy recoveries to the others.

I think you're looking at footage of an accident in 2016.

[mran66]

19 minutes ago, worrab said:

See my reply to Moo 2 which is #220.

Well you are right that in 99.x% of cases of collision between train and other objects it is the train that actually hits the other object... But still the headlines tend to be written in a way that party that caused the incident is something else than what actually caused it... 

Edited October 12, 2020 by mran66

[Burma Bill]

14 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

I think you're looking at footage of an accident in 2016.

Thank you for pointing out my error and I offer my sincere apologies for "fake news". The CCTV footage I viewed was among many photos from the scene of this latest accident and I made the wrong assumption.

[worrab]

14 minutes ago, mran66 said:

Well you are right that in 99.x% of cases of collision between train and other objects it is the train that actually hits the other object... But still the headlines tend to be written in a way that party that caused the incident is something else than what actually caused it... 

All headlines regarding train collisions are written this way. Especially if a vehicle is involved on a crossing and normally it will always be the driver of the vehicle at fault. For the bus to have collided with the train, then the train would have to be at a standstill! Hence the headline.

[katatonic]

5 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

The pic shows it to be a Passenger train, not a freight train.

Another one..

[katatonic]

2 hours ago, essox essox said:

last figures I saw.....were 59 DEATHS, AND LESS THAN 4K INFECTIONS  !!!

And why do you think that is then?

[anchadian]

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/transport-minister-orders-signals-and-barriers-installed-at-all-railway-crossings/

 

Thailand’s Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has ordered the State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Rail Transport to install signal systems and barriers at all railway crossings throughout the country, to prevent a repeat of the train-bus collision in Chachoengsao province on Saturday, which resulted in multiple fatalities and over 30 injured.

[smew]

Funny the news says'' This is a developing news story. This post may be updated without warning. Source: Daily News, Daily News''

RIP. There is nothing to be developed 20 people dead.  Finished done.

Three words: Morons all around.

 

PS: the whole country. 95% of its population does not listen to any advice, they all know better. 

 

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, TERMINATOR3AB said:

Very sad   on my visits to Thailand   the one thing that amazed me was the  lack of intelligent driving  skills

In  fact   no driving skills  really

I have  full  semi  licence  and full big  bike  licence  and a full international licence

However  no way I would ever drive  or hire a  vehicle in Thailand  

Good   Taxi are  cheap   and only  way to travel if  they go too fast  ask them to slow  they  will  

Thai,s  are   the worst  drivers I have ever seen

All the  money on  Subs  and  Generals  Toys

None on real driver  eductaion  or  change the  driving culture  in Thailand 

So many  deaths   no body  seems  to  care ?

Good Luck Thailand

So you (rightly) assess Thai driving skills as extremely poor but would prefer to delegate your safety to one in the form of a Thai taxi driver rather than mitigate the risk by driving yourself? Thai logic infection...? ???? 

[smew]

Remember? some 4yrs ago, double decker school bus coming to BKK accident on highway#2 in the hills. Some ~~18 dead including twin girls the only children in one family.

DRIVER ON YABA AND NO LICENSE for that type of vehicle. Two weeks driving experience.

Morons !!! border line cretins 

What was done: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING  

[Artisi]

On 10/11/2020 at 12:48 PM, colinneil said:

My mistake, should have said avoidable.

I think unavoidable is correct - Thai bus driver - therefore it was likely to happen.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/11/2020 at 6:38 PM, colinneil said:

Another avoidable accident, looks like it was caused by a bus driver.

Hells teeth trains are bloody great BIG things.

R.I.P. to the poor victims.

This made the local radio news in NZ. They said that it was raining and that may have obscured the bus driver's vision.

[colinneil]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

This made the local radio news in NZ. They said that it was raining and that may have obscured the bus driver's vision.

Bloody BIG stop sign, he didnt stop, boll+++s to his vision being obstructed.

[recom273]

3 hours ago, essox essox said:

ARE there any signs at the sides of the tracks to tell train drivers to SLOW DOWN ??

bet that there ARE NONE.......!!

No, but there is a big red one that says “STOP” .. that’s not give way, keep rolling and speed up if the crossing is clear, it’s a compulsory stop and look. 

 

This guy has been a coach driver for 30 years, please don’t defend his actions by blaming a lack of road signs. I think he’s a local, so no doubt he would have driven over this crossing countless times, he must have been aware.

[jollyhangmon]

15 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Bloody BIG stop sign, he didnt stop, boll+++s to his vision being obstructed.

 

... the examiner mentions reports the bus driver was lost, as in 'It is reported that the driver of the bus was unsure of the route ...' amongst other things, like the noise on the bus ... so basically a compound of possible factors, as usual ...

 

A driver distracted on several levels, not familiar with the lay of the land can (& will) unsurprisingly lead to such catastrophes ... 

 

... uups, forgot the link:

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2020/10/11/18-dead-rail-crash-chachoengsao-province-sunday-morning/

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by jollyhangmon

[worrab]

4 hours ago, essox essox said:

ARE there any signs at the sides of the tracks to tell train drivers to SLOW DOWN ??

bet that there ARE NONE.......!!

Again being an ex train driver, the only signs you would have are speed signs. These would tell you to reduce/increase speed if any different to line speed. On some routes I worked in Kent and Sussex there were 15 mph signs before   some level crossings reducing you from 60 mph line speed. It all depended on the kind of crossing and the sighting of it. As freight probably only runs at around 60 kph here then there should not be a need to reduce further. The onus is on the driver of the vehicle to ensure it is safe to cross before doing so and obeying any other indications there may be at the location. It seems here that there was a gross misjudgment of using this crossing and even more so if he did not know the road. Even if there are no flashing lights or barriers down, I still check the line is clear both ways before crossing.

[Grumpy John]

6 hours ago, stouricks said:

Those eyewitnesses did not then see what is shown on the video ie the bus did not stop at the crossing, simply drove straight over it without looking to the left.

If as they say another train had passed from the right, why was that not shown on the CCTV video. Total lies from them.

It's a single track at that point.  Freight trains and express trains (don't laugh) would have a green distance signal and a green on the home signal to indicate the points were laying for the mainline.  If the train was to go into the 2 road through the points the distance would be on reduce to medium (yellow over green) and red over green on the home signal.  If the freight train was going into the yard the home signal would be red over red with a low speed light.  Not sure of the colour here in Thailand but purple or yellow is often used back home with the speed indicated on that signal if lower than the normal slow speed attributed to the low speed light.  

 

A bit hard to tell but it could be a SDA3 locomotive that can do 100kph.....but no idea if it was in fact doing that speed.  With bogie wagons as seen it may.

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm.... just another day in Thailand?

[mike787]

Instead of feeling sad why doesn't someone start a GOFUND to help these poor people, we all have big fat pensions we can contribute a little - right!

[stouricks]

Just now, Grumpy John said:

It's a single track at that point.  Freight trains and express trains (don't laugh) would have a green distance signal and a green on the home signal to indicate the points were laying for the mainline.  If the train was to go into the 2 road through the points the distance would be on reduce to medium (yellow over green) and red over green on the home signal.  If the freight train was going into the yard the home signal would be red over red with a low speed light.  Not sure of the colour here in Thailand but purple or yellow is often used back home with the speed indicated on that signal if lower than the normal slow speed attributed to the low speed light.  

 

A bit hard to tell but it could be a SDA3 locomotive that can do 100kph.....but no idea if it was in fact doing that speed.  With bogie wagons as seen it may.

Look at the very first picture in the post where there is a blue passenger coach and the coach wreck, and tell me that it's a single track again.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, essox essox said:

ARE there any signs at the sides of the tracks to tell train drivers to SLOW DOWN ??

bet that there ARE NONE.......!!

In our far superior, civilized countries that we like to brag about so much, there are train speed advisories on bends and built-up areas. Any unguarded rural crossings in my far more developed homeland have speed advisories as well as big signs telling the driver to sound the horn. This was a straight track and a rural crossing. By all witness accounts, this train driver was heard laying on the horn before the collision. He probably saw the bus creeping slowly towards the crossing but the train can't exactly do a handbrake turn, can it?

 

5 hours ago, essox essox said:

WHY are there passengers on the train IF IT WAS a freight train ???

We covered this AGES ago but especially for you...

 

The VIDEO shows the bus being hit by a FREIGHT train and the still pictures taken AFTER the collision show a passing PASSENGER train.

 

Are we all on the same page again?

[transam]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This made the local radio news in NZ. They said that it was raining and that may have obscured the bus driver's vision.

Then he should let someone off to look down the tracks.....

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Grumpy John said:

It's a single track at that point. 

No. There are THREE railways lines parallel to each other pretty much all the way from Bangkok to Chachoengsao.

[RobU]

16 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

It had 60 passengers, must have been overloaded. But that still makes it the bus crew's fault.

Not necessarily overloaded. The number of seats depends on the length of the coach and the number of axles the average for a 12 metre bus is 50 to 55. So 60 is not out of the question if the bus was packed and there were 5 standing (or 5 small children) or the bus is a semi double decker with a small lower deck at the rear replacing part of the luggage compartment which usually runs the full length of the bus. We don't use seatbelts on buses in the UK why should they do it in Thailand?

[RobU]

10 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

A couple of years back i was driving back to Samui from a visa run to Ranong, coming round a bend i met a dip in the road near to Ban Na Doem, not far from Suratthani, i saw no signs but suddenly found myself on a railway line. I was shocked to learn that i had just crossed the Bangkok to Malaysia main line.  I stopped and walked back  to look for a sign and found it covered in vine. I spoke with a guy about it and was informed that "Everybody " knows that the crossing is there ?

Same happens in the UK local authorities do not mark the road and put signs up where the drivers must make decisions contrary to the highway code. Also near me there are long term major road works where the restrictive speed limit signs and warnings are obscured by foliage which has grown over the summer months. Local Authorities actually create blind junctions and bends by putting up fences or installing shrubbery to make it pretty and obscure motorists vision My point is that everyone complains about Thailand when exactly the same things happen here in the UK