katana Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 (edited) In the Thai Rath today the driver is quoted as saying that he'd been a train driver for 17 years and never had an accident before. He added that he suffered from a chronic blood pressure disorder (didn't say whether it was high or low blood pressure) and had received a communication to come in and work instead of the usual driver. He was also suffering from a small fever which he'd taken some medication for which left him feeling drowsy. That, together with fumes that came into the cabin meant he felt weak until he blacked out at Wong Phong station and the train speeded on to Khao Tao station, 1 stop further on, where the accident occurred. Edited October 9, 2009 by katana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EffectiveAnger Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 His picture is out now everywhere. Police are taking him for a medical exam. I'm waiting for the drug test to come back! I sure hope he's stays under police custody and brought up on charges. They shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawpcorn Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 His picture is out now everywhere. Police are taking him for a medical exam. I'm waiting for the drug test to come back! I sure hope he's stays under police custody and brought up on charges. They shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. Well, yup, it would make "sense" to you and me, but this is Thai justice, TIT, BIB, and all that, and as the Bangkok Post reports... "Pol Maj Gen Roongroj Saengkhram, chief of Prachuap Khiri Khan police, said Mr Roengsak was allowed bail because he had surrendered." Interesting additional comments by the driver regarding the issue of the supposed non-existing "dead man switch"... from the Bangkok Post: "He also said the locomotive's auto-alert system was not working. The system would set off an alarm and eventually apply emergency brakes if the driver had been away from the control panel for too long." How long is TOO long? Apparently there IS one of these, but (TIT) it was "malfunctioning"!!! Questions come to mind... is this really true? Does it even exist? Had it been tampered with, or disabled (in order to for the train to be run without the "nuisance" of having to hold a switch down)? Was it known to be "malfunctioning", by any personnel, prior to the accident? If so, why was the train permitted to be operated? more... "The exhaust fumes from the train engine also made him tired." Is this standard, or another "malfunction"? I'm guessing this may be difficult to disprove, now that the engine is destroyed... and is it permitted for an engineer to take medication that can make you fall asleep? MANY more questions... but I have to get back to work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caf Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 His picture is out now everywhere. Police are taking him for a medical exam. I'm waiting for the drug test to come back! I sure hope he's stays under police custody and brought up on charges. They shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. Well, yup, it would make "sense" to you and me, but this is Thai justice, TIT, BIB, and all that, and as the Bangkok Post reports... "Pol Maj Gen Roongroj Saengkhram, chief of Prachuap Khiri Khan police, said Mr Roengsak was allowed bail because he had surrendered." Interesting additional comments by the driver regarding the issue of the supposed non-existing "dead man switch"... from the Bangkok Post: "He also said the locomotive's auto-alert system was not working. The system would set off an alarm and eventually apply emergency brakes if the driver had been away from the control panel for too long." How long is TOO long? Apparently there IS one of these, but (TIT) it was "malfunctioning"!!! Questions come to mind... is this really true? Does it even exist? Had it been tampered with, or disabled (in order to for the train to be run without the "nuisance" of having to hold a switch down)? Was it known to be "malfunctioning", by any personnel, prior to the accident? If so, why was the train permitted to be operated? more... "The exhaust fumes from the train engine also made him tired." Is this standard, or another "malfunction"? I'm guessing this may be difficult to disprove, now that the engine is destroyed... and is it permitted for an engineer to take medication that can make you fall asleep? MANY more questions... but I have to get back to work... This is Thailand The answer by a Thai to the question is there a dead mans handle awill always be yes. That does not mean there was or ever has been a dead mans handle. quoted above: "the supposed non-existing "dead man switch"... In the UK if the handle is released ( eg driver faints...) the system automatically responds. it is not a switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EffectiveAnger Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 His picture is out now everywhere. Police are taking him for a medical exam. I'm waiting for the drug test to come back! I sure hope he's stays under police custody and brought up on charges. They shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. Well, yup, it would make "sense" to you and me, but this is Thai justice, TIT, BIB, and all that, and as the Bangkok Post reports... "Pol Maj Gen Roongroj Saengkhram, chief of Prachuap Khiri Khan police, said Mr Roengsak was allowed bail because he had surrendered." Interesting additional comments by the driver regarding the issue of the supposed non-existing "dead man switch"... from the Bangkok Post: "He also said the locomotive's auto-alert system was not working. The system would set off an alarm and eventually apply emergency brakes if the driver had been away from the control panel for too long." How long is TOO long? Apparently there IS one of these, but (TIT) it was "malfunctioning"!!! Questions come to mind... is this really true? Does it even exist? Had it been tampered with, or disabled (in order to for the train to be run without the "nuisance" of having to hold a switch down)? Was it known to be "malfunctioning", by any personnel, prior to the accident? If so, why was the train permitted to be operated? more... "The exhaust fumes from the train engine also made him tired." Is this standard, or another "malfunction"? I'm guessing this may be difficult to disprove, now that the engine is destroyed... and is it permitted for an engineer to take medication that can make you fall asleep? MANY more questions... but I have to get back to work... Notice there aren't any people on here rushing to the defense of the Thai Railway now with such comments as, 'face it, this could happen anywhere.' Only in Thailand could this level of incompetency happen as the rest of the country remains placid about the whole thing. In other countries, the families of the dead and the victims would be holding massive protests. Instead, they are running around wondering which political rally is paying the most for them to attend... to hel_l with the trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 UPDATE HUA HIN TRAIN ACCIDENT Train driver sacked The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Monday sacked a train driver who suffered blackout on duty, causing the train he was driving to derail in Hua Hin district of Prachuab Khiri Khan last week. Seven passengers were killed and many others were injured. SRT deputy governor Pakorn Tangjetsakow, who is also chairman of the committee probing the derailment of the ill-fated train said that the investigation showed that the accident was not caused by a technical glitch, but by collective human error--the train driver, an engineer and other staff. He said driver Roengsak Phanthep told investigators that he had taken medicines for fever and allergy and suffered blackout without warning as the train approached the accident scene. Parorn said the train then jumped the stop light at Wang Phong Station and ran at high speed to Khao Tao station in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district before derailing there. The SRT deputy governor said the committee decided to dismiss Roengsak, while the engineer and staff of the derailed train will be punished by cutting their salaries by 15 per cent for 10 months. The government-owned railway is facing a severe staff shortage and numbers of train drivers have been unable to take holidays or sick leave. -- The Nation 2009/10/12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAWP Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 So the staff is so over-worked that we can expect of this, much like the 1-2-Go-scandal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcatcher Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 (edited) Another newspaper, that must not be quoted, is reporting a train derailment on the Kanchanaburi branch line from Ban Pong. No injuries but engine and car off the tracks. Cause apparently sleeper condition, and no, not the driver!. Edited October 14, 2009 by ratcatcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinchester Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 According to the source that may not be mentioned this was the fifth incident in the last four months just on this one track! Incredible! Thankfully it did not occur on any of the elevated section above the river. The railway track out to Kanchanaburi and Namtok is notoriously bad and the trip has been known to take up to 5 hours for what can be a 2 hour bus ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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