Thai Transport Min Chadchart says SRT must work harder

[webfact]

Chadchart says SRT must work harder



BANGKOK: -- Transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt says the State Railway of Thailand must work harder if it is to go ahead with its multi-billion baht high speed train project.

The minister’s comment came as he inspected the scene of train derailment yesterday near the railway crossing on the Udon-Nong Khai road injuring 11 passengers.

Posted on his Facebook today, Chadchart said the accident happened to Train 77 at the railway crossing, a few kilometers from Udon railway station.

He said he and SRT governor Prapat Chongsa-nguan went to inspect the scene at noon and saw that this derailment was different from other derailments in the past.

Train derailments in the past mostly happened due to poor railway tracks, low train speed due to soft land and not serious. But this time the track has been improved but the improvement work has not officially delivered to the SRT,

He said rail track is good and the train was running at 70 kms/hour.

Fortunately there was no serious injuries as most passengers have got out of the train at Udon station, otherwise casualties might be high.

He said that the cause of this accident was believed to be from a concrete panel which was underneath the track. It might flip and obstruct the wheels of the train when it was run over.

He said that this accident has raised questions of whether the SRT was capable enough to implement the high speed train project or dual track project.

He said he has told those asking the question that the SRT has to work harder and adopt practical measures to seriously resolve all problems. All relevant officials have to step out to monitor and supervise, with regard to past errors as a lesson to learn and prevent any recurrence of the same incident.

He said that improvement of train service is not easy but has to be achieved and act right away so that train service will return to be an alternative mode of travel for the Thai people again.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chadchart-says-srt-must-work-harder/

-- Thai PBS 2013-11-13

[PeterSmiles]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

[Robby nz]

Transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt says the State Railway of Thailand must work harder if it is to go ahead with its multi-billion baht high speed train project.

So it is now the SRT's multi billion high speed train project.

Wonder when it became their responsibility?

[Katipo]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

Hahaha, brilliant. It really could be a photo of any of them.

I'm imagining a parliamentary session right now.

[kurnell]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

Hahaha, brilliant. It really could be a photo of any of them.

I'm imagining a parliamentary session right now.

Whenever I hear the word 'gormless' in the future, this is the very face I will picture

[noitom]

Look at the journalism in this garbage.

[soi41]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

Yeah, strange with this guy in charge, you should think the railways here would be working perfectly:

They have the missing link!!

[ChrisY1]

Frightening to think these buffons are going to manage HSR.....

[lemonjelly]

Will the new HSTs have restaurant (lol) cars with the ambiance and finesse of a dodgy bar in the backstreets of BKK that only a group of alcoholic SRT workers can provide........

Edited November 13, 2013 by lemonjelly

[h90]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

But surely he follows the dear leader from Dubai...that is enough.

[Thait Spot]

Our trains keep falling off the tracks - maybe as many as a hundred times this year.

Minister - Well, you'll all have to try a bit harder

That should do the job.......

[little mary sunshine]

OMG look at, and listen to this BOZO.....You think He is going to run a "High Speed Rail

System"? I wouldn't set foot near it.............Death for sure at high speed !!!!!!!!

[ratcatcher]

OMG look at, and listen to this BOZO.....You think He is going to run a "High Speed Rail

System"? I wouldn't set foot near it.............Death for sure at high speed !!!!!!!!

He may look like he's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic BUT, one thing this guy has done, is to make himself basically aware of some of the problems in the transport system here. He rode the buses and trains, no doubt with a bit of fanfare. Maybe his heart's in the right place, but I fear his brain is having trouble getting into gear.

As for the comments about being gormless, he's in good company I'd say. Water management guru, Labour and ear medicine expert and of course the man who thinks the IMF is all out to lunch.

[Ricardo]

Problems with the SRT's track, suffering from decades of under-investment, can be solved by instructing the SRT to "work harder" ?

Or perhaps the minister might consider diverting some of the B2.2-trillion cash their way, rather than blowing it on a vanity-project like an unwanted High-Speed Passenger Network, then perhaps they could repair & upgrade & double-track more of their existing system ?

Of course that would be less vote-grabbing, but there would surely still be plenty of brown-envelopes, to keep everyone happy !

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

He said that this accident has raised questions of whether the SRT was capable enough to implement the high speed train project or dual track project.

Well, I guess the couple dozen prior regular train derailments during the past year in Chiang Mai and elsewhere weren't enough to get the government's attention about its real (in)ability to produce a safe, working high-speed rail project.

But now, after the Udon crash, those sharp government folks are really starting to raise those serious questions about SRT competence (or more correctly, incompetence).

How refreshing...

[fab4]

OMG look at, and listen to this BOZO.....You think He is going to run a "High Speed Rail

System"? I wouldn't set foot near it.............Death for sure at high speed !!!!!!!!

He may look like he's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic BUT, one thing this guy has done, is to make himself basically aware of some of the problems in the transport system here. He rode the buses and trains, no doubt with a bit of fanfare. Maybe his heart's in the right place, but I fear his brain is having trouble getting into gear.

As for the comments about being gormless, he's in good company I'd say. Water management guru, Labour and ear medicine expert and of course the man who thinks the IMF is all out to lunch.

C'mon they all have their off days

[Emptyset]

Problems with the SRT's track, suffering from decades of under-investment, can be solved by instructing the SRT to "work harder" ?

Or perhaps the minister might consider diverting some of the B2.2-trillion cash their way, rather than blowing it on a vanity-project like an unwanted High-Speed Passenger Network, then perhaps they could repair & upgrade & double-track more of their existing system ?

Of course that would be less vote-grabbing, but there would surely still be plenty of brown-envelopes, to keep everyone happy !

This is how the 2 trillion baht will be spent (in US $) according to an outline by the transport minister:

• Infrastructure Development Programs : Railway network $13.4 Billion (double tracks, upgrade signaling and telecommunication system, and underpasses and overpasses to reduce 108 rail-road intersections)
• Infrastructure Development Programs : High Speed Train $ 26 Billion
• Infrastructure Development Programs : Mass Rapid Transit $15.7 Billion
• Infrastructure Development Programs : Road Network $9.2 Billion

[Emptyset]

OMG look at, and listen to this BOZO.....You think He is going to run a "High Speed Rail

System"? I wouldn't set foot near it.............Death for sure at high speed !!!!!!!!

He may look like he's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic BUT, one thing this guy has done, is to make himself basically aware of some of the problems in the transport system here. He rode the buses and trains, no doubt with a bit of fanfare. Maybe his heart's in the right place, but I fear his brain is having trouble getting into gear.

As for the comments about being gormless, he's in good company I'd say. Water management guru, Labour and ear medicine expert and of course the man who thinks the IMF is all out to lunch.

Thai friend that works in a related field (usually no fan of this government) says he's the first transport minister that's actually qualified to be transport minister Thailand has had for years. One of the few ministerial posts that government actually got right.

[h90]

self delete.....

Edited November 13, 2013 by h90

[fab4]

self delete.....

If only...........

[JRSoul]

This is how the 2 trillion baht will be spent (in US $) according to an outline by the transport minister:

• Infrastructure Development Programs : Railway network $13.4 Billion (double tracks, upgrade signaling and telecommunication system, and underpasses and overpasses to reduce 108 rail-road intersections)
• Infrastructure Development Programs : High Speed Train $ 26 Billion
• Infrastructure Development Programs : Mass Rapid Transit $15.7 Billion
• Infrastructure Development Programs : Road Network $9.2 Billion

You do realise that this lot could all be paid for with less than one year's losses from the rice scam? And no lingering public debt.

[JRSoul]

Reading the OP I notice that the accident is believed to have been caused by a piece of concrete on a section of track under improvement by contractors. Somehow that becomes the fault of SRT employees, who must work harder. And while he's playing shift the blame games, the HSR becomes an SRT initiative, quite likely in anticipation that, if it ever eventuates, it will be another fiasco and financial disaster.

Should we remind him who was busy designing the lunch boxes before any analysis of the proposal had been done? In fact, I still haven't seen anything like a cost/benefit analysis for a transport system that 90% of Thais could ever afford to use.

Edited November 13, 2013 by JRSoul

[JoeThePoster]

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

Hahaha, brilliant. It really could be a photo of any of them.

I'm imagining a parliamentary session right now.

Looks like the cousin we used to keep chained up in the basement in medieval times.