Third-class train cars not up to standard, says Transport Minister Chadchart

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Third-class train cars not up to standard, says Chadchart
The Nation


Chadchart

BANGKOK: -- The latest criticism from Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt will hardly surprise commuters who regularly use standard state rail services.

After a "secret" eight-hour train ride to Surin recently on his own, Chadchart wrote on his Facebook page yesterday that toilets on the lowest-class train carriages were dirty and lacked running tap water.

The minister, who oversees the State Railway of Thailand, said Train 135, a third-class route that is the lowest, also saw a 30-minute delay, and the carriage was not in good condition.

His trip was not disclosed to others, he said, as he wanted to find out what the SRT service was like after the agency asked to raise the fees for third-class train rides by 10 per cent.

Chadchart said he talked to train drivers and SRT police about many problems they faced: old locomotives, worn-out or used train parts, lack of qualified personnel, and disproportional assignments for SRT staff.

"The information learned will be used to improve the SRT and other public transport services drastically," he said on his FB page.

A specific problem on the route to Surin was tree branches that regularly hit passengers' faces or arms, he said. From querying the SRT staff, he was told that no contractors were interested in bidding for a project to trim the branches along the rail line because the return was too low for them. Chadchart said he would readjust the payment and make it a long-term project.

The minister recently took a bus trip to work in Bangkok, with the same purpose of checking the quality of service for commuters, but had to get off and jump on to a motorcycle taxi because of long delays on the route he had to take.

He also conducted a survey to rate the quality of city bus routes, which saw bus numbers 8, 44, and 1 named as the worst routes, ahead of numbers 16, and 92, which ranked fourth-worst, and numbers 75 and 122, which were fifth-worst.


-- The Nation 2013-08-17

[theblether]

10/10 for having the initiative to go see for himself. If he can actually get something done about it he will be Man Of The Year.

[smutcakes]

Probably the first politician to ever go on one of the trains. How a transport minister can only now just be seeing what 90% of the population have known and put up with daily for years is absurd. And any of the classes are substandard by modern requirements.

[NongKhaiKid]

Was his driver tracking the train in case it all too much for him ?

It doesn't say how he returned to Bkk but not by train I bet, free air travel is available.

[chainarong]

One thing is for certain , you don't need to be a brain , all the system is sub standard, they would need a complete make over in rail system operations and management , if and when they go up to fast train traffic.

[OzMick]

135 is a rapid which skips many stops. He should have tried an ordinary for the true mind-numbing experience.

[JeremyBowskill]

I can only presume that he couldn't be bothered to walk through to 2nd and 1st class, as neither of them do what they say on the tin either.

[noitom]

No running water and no paper is not a surprise anywhere in Thailand.

[jalansanitwong]

You have to love the Thai's......the transport minister took a 'secret' trip on a train and in third class! Didnt want to lose face no doubt.

I doubt if he or any of his transport officials even knew how to find Hualampong station.

Did he return to BKK on the train or was he picked up in a Benz in Surin.

[LuckyLew]

What was the give away on that finding

The creeking noises?

The fact that the average age of the train cars is over 35?

The keep falling off the tracks?

Is this person in the running for TIME's person of the year?

[WhizBang]

Third-class train cars not up to standard, says Chadchart

First and second class are not up to standard either. In fact, all of SRT is not up to standard.

High speed trains are NOT the solution Thailand needs. A good modern standard gauge regular train system is what's needed.

[jcb2001]

One thing is for certain , you don't need to be a brain , all the system is sub standard, they would need a complete make over in rail system operations and management , if and when they go up to fast train traffic.

High Speed train for Thailand? The infrastructure money now being proposed by the gov't should go to improving the existing transportation services, not the glorious high speed train some in the gov't think the country needs.

Currently, the Thai trains are struggling to just keep the routes running, often at the cost of safety. A decent budget to run the rail system will go a long way to restoring the confidence of Thailand's train lines.

[rametindallas]

Ministers come and Ministers go but the huge bureaucracy and unions, that are the SRT,will never change. The Minister if wanting to sound as if he's doing something but he knows (or should know) he can do nothing. He won't even be able to get the tree branches, that are hitting people in their faces, removed.

[rametindallas]

Probably the first politician to ever go on one of the trains. How a transport minister can only now just be seeing what 90% of the population have known and put up with daily for years is absurd. And any of the classes are substandard by modern requirements.

Two months ago PM Yingluck told her cabinet to generate good publicity to offset all the negativity in the press. This is just part of that campaign. I would bet real money that absolutely nothing will change. I do admire your optimism, though.

[OzMick]

I can only presume that he couldn't be bothered to walk through to 2nd and 1st class, as neither of them do what they say on the tin either.

1st class carriages are rare animals only ever seen attached to express trains, and I use the term "express" loosely. 135 would be lucky to have a 2nd class a/c carriage, and as it returns as 136 leaving Ubon at 0700, probably only have a 2nd class (fan) chair car.

[rametindallas]

Third-class train cars not up to standard, says Chadchart

First and second class are not up to standard either. In fact, all of SRT is not up to standard.

High speed trains are NOT the solution Thailand needs. A good modern standard gauge regular train system is what's needed.

Here, here. +1

[samran]

Don't worry. He'll be reshuffled in 5 months. Normal service to resume after that.

[harrry]

3rd classs rail travel is free to thais.

I wonder how much that branch clearing contract is worth

[klauskunkel]

He is setting an (embarrassing?) example for other Ministers. Now I want to see the Education Minister in a classroom with a non-cheating device on his head, or, the Defence Minister getting a haircut and putting on camos and combat boots for a day!

[Pond Life]

I admire the guy for getting off his bum & going out to see the real world.

BUT

This is the same guy who recently refused to allow SRT to raise their fares.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/660763-thai-transport-min-tells-train-agency-to-improve-service-rather-than-raising-fare/

Maybe he thinks SRT staff should chip in from their own pockets to improve the rolling stock.

[louse1953]

Was his driver tracking the train in case it all too much for him ?

It doesn't say how he returned to Bkk but not by train I bet, free air travel is available.

Not from Surin.

[louse1953]

You have to love the Thai's......the transport minister took a 'secret' trip on a train and in third class! Didnt want to lose face no doubt.

I doubt if he or any of his transport officials even knew how to find Hualampong station.

Did he return to BKK on the train or was he picked up in a Benz in Surin.

Can't a Thai get anything right in your eyes".Secret trip",so he can study what happens,without minions fawning all over him.I presume he can ask a taxi to take him to the train station,like the rest of us.

[Estrada]

Probably the first politician to ever go on one of the trains. How a transport minister can only now just be seeing what 90% of the population have known and put up with daily for years is absurd. And any of the classes are substandard by modern requirements.

Not true! They usually travel in the V.I.P. sleeper carriages. I travelled to Sisaket on the overnight train with a Thai Monk from the UK, and the M.P. for Buriram tried to get us thrown out so that he could get our compartment. So I know this is not a true statement.

[CIHUAHUA]

I have not used the train system in over 10 years from CM to BKK. Then, I traveled 1st class private cabin, a bed, sink and a/c. Black carbon came out with the a/c and the public toilet was dirty with yellow looking water all over it. The man next to us said "Use your sink for the little jobs; everyone else does." Did I mention that I have not used the trains for over 10 years ?

[Commander Tamson]

Ministers come and Ministers go but the huge bureaucracy and unions, that are the SRT,will never change. The Minister if wanting to sound as if he's doing something but he knows (or should know) he can do nothing. He won't even be able to get the tree branches, that are hitting people in their faces, removed.

Well done to the Minister, but I think the above says it all as far as expecting any results from his initiative is concerned.

[SSSlongtime]

taking a train in thailand is like traveling back in time ,nothing has changed since 1970 ,maybe before ,i quite liked it ,but did go 1st class sleeper ,good trip ,wish all thailand never changed

[TackyToo]

10/10 for having the initiative to go see for himself. If he can actually get something done about it he will be Man Of The Year.

Hey Chalerm, you see? It is possible to do a proper job as a minister even in Thailand! There is a world behind the windows of a pink Bentley! Ask your chauffeur to roll 'em down once in a while, given the road is not too dusty.

[khunken]

Kudos to this minister for actually doing some leg work - he is an exception in PTP.

While the SRT management & unions are not blameless, the major problem with the SRT is that it has to run at a loss perpetually. Every government has refused to pay them a proper subsidy and keep the fares artificially low. All the company can try to do is fix problems as they occur.

Forget about pie-in-the-sky uneconomic HSR. Use a fair portion of the 2.2tn Baht to fully upgrade the existing network as per plans already laid out. This is urgent - far more than the self-serving priorities of the current mob.

[peecee]

I can only presume that he couldn't be bothered to walk through to 2nd and 1st class, as neither of them do what they say on the tin either.

1st class to Surin is awful so I can't imagine what 3rd class is like!

[Fookhaht]

Third-class train cars not up to standard, says Chadchart

My first reaction: "Duh!"

Second reaction: "What standard?"