Trains collide in Ayutthaya, several people injured

[george]

Trains collide in Thailand, over 20 injured

Image source: Internet

BANGKOK (AP) — Two passenger trains collided north of Thailand's capital late Thursday, injuring more than 20 people, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the wreck in the central province of Ayutthaya, just north of Bangkok.

The State Railway of Thailand posted a statement on their Facebook page saying a northern-bound train crashed into the rear of another train.

Police Col. Nateepat Thammaratsophon put the number of injuries at 22. He described most of the injuries as minor but said two people were in critical condition — one of the train's drivers and a mechanic.

Most of the remaining passengers were able to leave the site on another train provided by the state railroad company, Nateepat said, adding that soldiers and state officials helped transport other people from the site as well.

Nateepat said both trains had departed Bangkok and were headed north when one rear-ended the other in Ayutthaya's Phachee district. "We are still investigation the cause of the collision," he said.

The accident was the latest to hit Thailand's transportation industry.

Earlier Thursday in the southern province of Trang, Thai media reported that a pickup truck driver was killed when his vehicle crashed into a passing train. And in a separate accident Tuesday, a Bangkok-bound passenger train collided with a truck during heavy rains near the northern city of Chiang Mai north, killing seven construction workers in the truck and seriously injuring another, police said.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-27

[berybert]

So the train behind crashed into the train in front. I bet that woke the driver up !

[PatOngo]

SRT governor promises railway service overhaul in 6 months

The rapid response team is on to it.

[halloween]

So the train behind crashed into the train in front. I bet that woke the driver up !

More likely he was one of the injured, assuming he wasn't killed. Your concern is noted.

This is much more likely to be a switching and/or signalling fault than that of the driver.

[webfact]

More than 50 passengers were injured, six seriously, when a Bangkok-Denchai passenger train rammed at the rear of the Bangkok-Nong Khai train near Phachee district of Nakhon Sawan last night.

The accident happened as the State Railways of Thailand celebrated its 118 establishment anniversary yesterday.

Among the injured were an American and a Korean.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/102622


-- Thai PBS 2015-03-27

[webfact]

About 40 passengers injured in rear-end train collision

Ayutthaya: –A locomotive last night collided into the back of three-carriage express train parked to await signal for entering Ban Pha Chi Junction Station in the central province, police said.

Dozens of passengers have been injured and four are in serious condition. Some 150 uninjured passengers have been sent to a Buddhist temple to wait for the arrangements to complete their trip.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/812258-about-40-passengers-injured-in-rear-end-train-collision/

[Ricardo]

Yet the Thais still expect and demand, to take over the actual operation and management after just a few years, of the new Chinese/Thai medium-speed standard-gauge freight-railway system ?

On current/recent evidence they're simply not ready for this.

[NongKhaiKid]

Those pesky ' bad spirits ' getting some practice in to be ready for all the new trains ?

[Tokay]

Right on time. I was starting to wonder where 2015's rail carnage was, and two days in a row I have not been disappointed.

It's almost time for a mini bus crash.

[BSJ]

If I remember correctly the rules for running trains on a single track system (with electric signals) include:

1/ Being vigilant at all times.

2/ In the hours of darkness or inclement weather calculate train speed/distance covered so that the crew can anticipate the arrival at the next station.

3/ Be aware of train schedules for the days running.

4/ Reduce speed if necessary

5/ Stop the train at the next home signal, use the trackside phone and contact train control if signal failure occurs.

If the rules are written properly and the train crew do their job accidents should not happen!

[webfact]

More than 50 injured in Thai train crash
AFP

BANGKOK: -- More than 50 people were injured when two trains collided in central Thailand, a senior official said Friday.

The collision occurred at 10:15 pm (1515 GMT) on Thursday evening in Ayutthaya province when a rapid train from Bangkok to Denchai slammed into the back of a stationary express train.

"Of the 52 injured, six people remain in hospital, two are in critical condition," Thanongsak Kongprasert, a senior official at the State Railway of Thailand, told AFP.

He added that six carriages had fallen off the tracks in the crash and that the two victims fighting for their lives in hospital were the driver and technician on board the Bangkok-Denchai train.

Local disaster planning official Udonsak Kawnuna told AFP that two foreigners, an American and South Korean, were injured and under observation at a nearby hospital.

Despite being one of Southeast Asia's wealthier nations, Thailand has a decrepit and slow railway system that the military junta is keen to overhaul.

The country has just 250 kilometres (155 miles) of dual track railway, making train travel painfully slow and collisions are not uncommon.

The government plans to build a series of new lines over the coming years, the first of which will be built with Chinese expertise.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-03-27

[Dublin]

When are the Hi Speed trains coming !!!!! Thailand is not quite ready me thinks

[lemerou]

I'm taking this train today

Hope the trains are running again.

[soalbundy]

It was the brakes, it's always the brakes.

[seajae]

maybe they are like the trucks on the roads at night, no rear lights so you can see them a lot sooner but more than likely the driver was simply not watching the tracks ahead and having a short snooze. Until such time as they actually introduce working safety regs in Thailand we will continue to see the carnage caused bu idiots that do not consider the dangers caused by their recklessness, pity others have to suffer because those responsible dont give a sh*t

[webfact]

Reckless driving blamed for train collision



AYUTTHAYA: -- More than 50 passengers were injured, two seriously, when a Bangkok-Denchai passenger train rammed at the rear of the Bangkok-Nong Khai train near Phachee district of Ayutthaya last night.

Reckless driving was blamed as cause of the incident which happened as the State Railways of Thailand celebrated its 118th establishment anniversary yesterday.

The rare collision which engaged two trains occurred at about 10.00 pm between Marb Phrachan and Phrakaew railway stations in Phachee district.

It was the third serious accident in less than two weeks when earlier yesterday a train hit a pickup truck killing its driver in Trang, and seven Myanmar migrant workers were killed when the pickup truck they travelled in was crashed by a passenger train in Chiang Mai.

In last night’s incident, all injured passengers and the driver of the Bangkok-Denchai passenger train and mechanic were admitted to Ayutthaya and Phachee hospitals.

By Friday morning, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Mr Wuthichart Kalayanamitr said all the slightly injured passengers were discharged from the hospitals after primary medical treatment, except six who included the driver and the mechanic.

The incident, he said, did not disrupt northbound rail services because it happened in the area where there are three tracks.
He said the collision happened on the third track.

However some of damaged train bogies fell off the track and obstructed another track , leaving only one track still in service.

He said railway engineers and workers are now at the scene with huge cranes.

The obstructed bogies were expected to be removed from the tracks and service of the two tracks is expected to be back to normal by 3 pm today.

The governor said reckless driving was blamed to be the cause.

He said the driver of the No 107 Bangkok-Denchai express train was supposed to wait before getting the green light to go.

However he might be in a haste and drove off thinking that the No 69 Bangkok-Nong Khai train might has already departed the substation, not knowing the train he was trailing behind was still on the track.

He said the No 69 train parked on the track because it had braking problem.

It was the recklessness of the No 107 train driver who violated the traffic sign, he said, adding that the SRT will compensate all passengers for damages caused to them by the accident.

Among the injured are an American identified as Mr John Charles Holsopple, 52, and a Singaporean Mr Lee Sangmin, 27.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/reckless-driving-blamed-for-train-collision

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-27

[ChrisY1]

I'm taking this train today

Hope the trains are running again.

If they can fix the drivers compartment in time, then no worries:))

[JAG]

It seems to have been caused by a SPAD (signal passed at danger). Since the second train had two crew in the cab and still passed a red signal, it is not really the fault of SRTs old fashioned but basically effective signalling system. It is down to a fundamental breach of the rules.

[zaphod reborn]

"Rare collision" - but there have been 3 collisions in the last 2 weeks. Nicely reported.

[KIWIBATCH]

...will this affect tourism...?

[soalbundy]

...will this affect tourism...?

No, because ''it never happens to you'' otherwise you would never get soldiers on a battle field.

[soalbundy]

"Rare collision" - but there have been 3 collisions in the last 2 weeks. Nicely reported.

for Thailand that's rare, only three collisions in two weeks.

[AlQaholic]

Time for a crack down on "train system maintenance".

[siampolee]

Perhaps when the construction of an expanded rail network commences as well as hopefully improvements to the existing network reference will be made to the link below.

Hopefully we will see the installation and implementation of the systems described therein which would indeed go a long way to improving railway safety.

http://www.railway-technical.com/sigtxt7.shtml

[Benmart]

So the train behind crashed into the train in front. I bet that woke the driver up !

An odd perspective to a story reporting people injured and two of them seriously.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion".

Dalai Lama

[natway09]

Here we go again.!!!!! Complete overhaul of SRT required. No,, not next year (they have been saying that for 45 years )

[smedly]

So the train behind crashed into the train in front. I bet that woke the driver up !

More likely he was one of the injured, assuming he wasn't killed. Your concern is noted.

This is much more likely to be a switching and/or signalling fault than that of the driver.

That is an assumption that he was actually at the front of the train and driving at the time - either one of which could be wrong - maybe he was driving from the back or stepped out to use the toilet

[Doc46]

So the train behind crashed into the train in front. I bet that woke the driver up !

More likely he was one of the injured, assuming he wasn't killed. Your concern is noted.

This is much more likely to be a switching and/or signalling fault than that of the driver.

Why you say that? Isn't the driver suppose to be in charge of the controls and be alert/Awake and look what is in front of him/train so he can see an other train slowing down or stopped in front of him?

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

now I understand why japan is not allowing charter flights from Thailand due to safety concerns. They can't even stop trains from rear ending each other. As other posters have stated, these high speed trains here will be a deadly addition. Look out!!!

[Greenhill]

Well, you don't think that the signals work do you??? Can you imagine the Hi-speed train here??? I daren't!!