Thai trains empty as travellers cancel bookings

[webfact]

RAILWAYS
Trains empty as travellers cancel bookings
The Nation


Officials near the Sila At train station in Uttaradit inspect the rail line yesterday, following news that the State Railway of Thailand will close the northern line for maintenance until the end of October.

BANGKOK: -- Many train passengers cancelled their reservations yesterday as the State Railway of Thailand announced that it was suspending all North-bound trains until October 31 beyond Sila At train junction in Uttaradit to make way for repairs.

The SRT is organising vans to transport travellers if their destination is beyond Sila At, SRT governor Prapat Chongsanguan said.

Meanwhile, a South-bound train derailed yesterday at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station. No casualties were reported.

In recent months, there have been as many as 10 derailments involving North-bound trains, plus a few other mishaps, including last week's accident at a Bangkok terminal and yesterday's derailment at Hua Lamphong.

Prapat said the suspension of North-bound trains should be lifted by the end of October, once the tunnels in Uttaradit, Phrae, Lampang and Lamphun as well as railway tracks at curves where derailments have taken place are repaired.

Meanwhile, up to 5,100 train tickets worth about Bt4.3 million were returned yesterday, senior SRT official Jarasphan Watcharothai said.

Prapat said that yesterday there were only five passengers travelling to Chiang Mai, while nobody had bought a ticket to the northern city for today.

Usually some 15,000 passengers travel to Chiang Mai in seven train services, Jarasphan said, adding that at least a third of this number would be lost following the suspension.

Two express train services from Bangkok to Chiang Mai had been cancelled earlier, while another three trains will be terminating in Uttaradit to make way for repairs.

The SRT said only three services were now operating on the northern line, and two express train services have been temporarily cancelled. Train travellers are being bussed in both directions between Chiang Mai and Sila At.

The SRT has set up the 1690 hotline for passengers to find out more.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said there were 89 derailments in 2012 and the total reached 113 by September 10 this year.

-- The Nation 2013-09-17

[CelticBhoy]

The SRT has set up the 1690 hotline for passengers.

There will be no Celtic fans calling that number then . . . . .

[saakura]

113 derailments in 9 months and thailand has a very small network of lines. It must be dangerous to travel by train. I went to Chiang Mai by train last year, must have been lucky.

[NongKhaiKid]

Cancellations are to be expected and may well have an unintended spin off as loss of revenue added to the adverse publicity of all the derailments puts pressure on to complete the work as fast as possible.

Shobby maintainence and workmanship are commonplace as it is without this incentive to hurry the job up and see corners being cut.

I'm sure when the work is completed the usual OTT assurances will be given but time will tell.

[NongKhaiKid]

The SRT has set up the 1690 hotline for passengers.

There will be no Celtic fans calling that number then . . . . .

Laughing Out Very Loud !

[rfukata]

there's not much talk about High speed rail after all of this is there?

[laurentbkk]

The SRT is organising vans to transport travellers if their destination

I wonder what is the most dangerous ... Vans on roads or Train .... maybe a good time to remain in bangkok

[kjun12]

Why would anyone take the train when flying is sometime cheaper than the train? Also, those operating the train system appear to be doing a very poor job. Prehaps a few job terminations are in order but that I just not the Thai way. Incompetence, like thievery by public officials, is rewarded here.

[uptheos]

there's not much talk about High speed rail after all of this is there?

The current railways system is a disaster.

I doubt that there would be enough customers to warrant the expense of a high speed train.

[GAZZPA]

Closed rail lines, closed airport runway, one of worlds highest fatality rates on the roads. It looks like Thai transport infrastructure needs very serious attention and fast, after all this is the backbone of a functioning economy. I hope it is not all blamed on bad spirits, I hope the authorities get real and spend the money to fix what so clearly needs fixing.

[connda]

113 derailments in 9 months and thailand has a very small network of lines. It must be dangerous to travel by train. I went to Chiang Mai by train last year, must have been lucky.

Looks like all the wooden ties decided to rot out about the same time. My wife said that Thai TV news said that the maintenance crews knew about the rotten ties but didn't replace them. What are the maintenance crews there for anyway? Now Thailand has another black eye in it's tourist business. Why do today what you can put off until there is a disaster.

LOS = Lack of Safety (114 train derailments, fatal bus crashes, fatal minibus crashes, Thai on farang assaults)

LOS = Land of Scams (Jet ski, illegal tours, fake jewels, taxis, bar girl 'mae's ox sick no have money for leak roof')

LOS = Lack of Service (grumpy, unsmiling, sullen staff at restaurants, retail stores, and other public venues)

As the Croc Hunter used to say: "Crikey! Danger, danger, danger."

[OnTheRun]

The SRT has set up the 1690 hotline for passengers.

There will be no Celtic fans calling that number then . . . . .

Just as well it's no back home, the yahoos Tims would be in uproar.

[Lancelot]

I do like train travel and have noticed a lot of construction on the BKK - Chiang Mai line. Maybe a case of too little too late? (Maintenance reference...)

[TackyToo]

Not the TAT!

Sorry guys I could not resist... However this came to mind:

[TomTom55]

113 derailments in 9 months and thailand has a very small network of lines. It must be dangerous to travel by train. I went to Chiang Mai by train last year, must have been lucky.

I have traveled on Thai trains plenty of times, they do seem to have a bad track record though, pun unintended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msHSP-9TALE

[Gummigalgen]

Closed rail lines, closed airport runway, one of worlds highest fatality rates on the roads. It looks like Thai transport infrastructure needs very serious attention and fast, after all this is the backbone of a functioning economy. I hope it is not all blamed on bad spirits, I hope the authorities get real and spend the money to fix what so clearly needs fixing.

The runway, when you built it on swamp. It is asking for regular cracks.................

[sometimewoodworker]

Why would anyone take the train when flying is sometime cheaper than the train?

1: Locations that the train goes to.

2: No limit on baggage weight or numbers.

3: Locations of the few places you can fly from.

To name just 3

Edited September 17, 2013 by sometimewoodworker

[ginjag]

The trains WILL be empty if they are not running, who will sit on one and wait for the new track.????

[drdoom6996]

The SRT is organising vans to transport travellers if their destination

I wonder what is the most dangerous ... Vans on roads or Train .... maybe a good time to remain in bangkok

Exactly!!!

[pete66]

My personal record for Chiang Mai to Bangkok by train:

1) Children came up to visit from BKK - derailed - 6 hrs late

2) I came back from BKK from seeing them - derailed - 2 hrs wait for a bus to take us to Phrae which took another 2/3 hrs to get to CM.

So that's a 100% record - shame its a 100% derailment record not safety record. Disgrace

[yourauntbob]

Looks like years of neglect, mismanagement and fraud are finally catching up. The question now becomes how can they blame this on the foreigners?

[Card]

Why would anyone take the train when flying is sometime cheaper than the train? Also, those operating the train system appear to be doing a very poor job. Prehaps a few job terminations are in order but that I just not the Thai way. Incompetence, like thievery by public officials, is rewarded here.

Meanwhile, Thai airways...........

[Card]

Looks like years of neglect, mismanagement and fraud are finally catching up. The question now becomes how can they blame this on the foreigners?

Well it's their fault because their overweight causes extra stress on the tracks and over time leads to derailment. It's obvious.

[Carl64]

The SRT is organising vans to transport travellers if their destination

I wonder what is the most dangerous ... Vans on roads or Train .... maybe a good time to remain in bangkok

Just fly. The MD of Thai Airways reported they have had ceremonies to get rid of the ghosts, so every thing is ok.

[Wimbledon]

NO SH.T, CAN YOU imagine if an airline had regular problems , HOW many people would fly???

[lordpeps]

I wouldn't want to travel with bad spirits either.

[Irishrogue]

Hey Celtic Bhoy, I wonder how many on this forum appreciate your humour regarding the reference to 1690? It made me smile.

[yooper2001]

Who is the minister of transportation in Thailand? more then 100 train derailments airport problems and # 4 in the world in highway deaths. WOW this job must be run by the most incompetent person that Thailand can find. I wonder how much under the table money it cost to have this job

[Fookhaht]

Looks like years of neglect, mismanagement and fraud are finally catching up....

If you don't spend the baht for maintenance now, you lose the baht in lost revenue later.

Could apply to a whole lot of infrastructure problems you see in a third-world/developing country. I've been calling TOT for three years to put an internet line back in place (which had fallen off the pole). Finally, someone hit the dangling line with their car, the line broke and has stayed that way for weeks. Customers are switching en masse to True who just put in a cable on our street.

Som-naam-naa!

[BwindiBoy]

The country is a joke.