Thai Transport Minister orders signals and barriers installed at all railway crossings

[webfact]

Transport Minister orders signals and barriers installed at all railway crossings

 

 

Thailand’s Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has ordered the State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Rail Transport to install signal systems and barriers at all railway crossings throughout the country, to prevent a repeat of the train-bus collision in Chachoengsao province on Saturday, which resulted in multiple fatalities and over 30 injured.

 

Seventeen people, including six Myanmar migrant workers, were killed when a chartered bus, carrying about 60 merit makers on their way from Samut Prakan to perform a Thod Kathin ceremony at a temple in Chachoengsao province, was struck by a freight train as it was passing over a dual track railway crossing. It is reported that the railway crossing does not have a barrier or a signal system.

 

Mr. Saksayam said today (Monday) that the crossing in question has not been formally registered and, therefore, has no barrier or signal system, adding that he has instructed both the SRT and the Department of Rail Transport to find out how many of this kind of railway crossing are still operational and whether they are still needed.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/transport-minister-orders-signals-and-barriers-installed-at-all-railway-crossings/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-10-12

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RotBenz8888]

Let the accident happen first, then address the safety issue. Sound familiar? 

[jvs]

Will not help,the amount of people i see passing thru the barriers just ahead of the train just amazes me.

Stop, look and listen!Nah ,will not work either.

You can not help some one who does not want to be helped.

Then again,i am being too negative.If it will save a few lives it will be worth it.

 

[mark131v]

Cant they just put a few sticks there like they do with holes in the roads and pavement, what about sticking a bit of red cloth on like they do on the blatantly illegal loads on pickups that decapitate motorcyclists....

[Pottinger]

Why wasn't this done seventy years ago?

[Surelynot]

They have to be full barriers across both lanes on both sides.....this is Thailand after all.

[scorecard]

5 minutes ago, Pottinger said:

Why wasn't this done seventy years ago?

Policies to do this nationally have been proclaimed several times before.

 

No real plans, no action, no real result. Anybody surprised?

[Grumpy John]

What the Minister said is just a KJR...that's Knee Jerk Reaction.  Something not unusual for politicians the world over!

[JoePai]

31 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

They have to be full barriers across both lanes on both sides.....this is Thailand after all.

Hmm that wont work, how will you be able to weave from one side to the other to get around the barriers

[agoodpunt]

what about banning blind or inperred people from driving buses

[holy cow cm]

Wouldn't it be better to make sure bus drivers have common sense and really know how to drive?

[ThailandRyan]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

Mr. Saksayam said today (Monday) that the crossing in question has not been formally registered and, therefore, has no barrier or signal system, adding that he has instructed both the SRT and the Department of Rail Transport to find out how many of this kind of railway crossing are still operational and whether they are still needed.

They are going to be in for a rude awakening when they find several thousand of unidentified crossings are in place as new roads have been put in place not only by local communities to assist in getting to there fields on the other side of the tracks but also put in for tourism purposes to get to Temples, or other tourism locations using a shorter route.  With Drones and GPS they might be able to find the lost ones.  It looks like SRT will be driving lots of miles down the backroads to find where those roads crossing the tracks go...

[bodga]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has ordered the State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Rail Transport to install signal systems and barriers at all railway crossings throughout the country

What a guy!!

[bodga]

59 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Let the accident happen first, then address the safety issue

more like form a committee and talk about it endlessly , then do nothing

[kingofthemountain]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Mr. Saksayam said today (Monday) that the crossing in question has not been formally registered and, therefore, has no barrier or signal system

Excuse me?

What is that?

 

What do you mean exactly by ''not formally registered'' sir ?

 

The road exists, the railway too,  it's used and it's a public place since years, this location is 

supposed to be under the responsability of someone in the area or in the matter, paid for doing the job, why the job isn't done?

Already in 2016 

 

and now the same thing happens again

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12900650/horrific-train-crash-bus-thailand-cctv/

 

 

You can not just try to escape the problem like this

please at least show some more respect to the families victims 

they deserve better than this shameless lie

Edited October 12, 2020 by kingofthemountain

[spidermike007]

Will the barriers actually be installed? Or, is this another Prayuth administration stunt? Remember all the declarations, proclamations, and promises that were made earlier in the game? What percent of them were followed up on? 1%? 2%? And now this one?

 

And one feels compelled to ask why didn't Chidchob think of this earlier? Why not be proactive? It requires some vision and foresight, but is that not what you are supposed to do? How many times has this happened in the past? Does it take a sleepy, semi conscious bus driver, who was incredibly reckless in his driving, and killed many poor souls, to wake you up from your slumber?

 

 

[Peter Aherne]

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

looks like SRT will be driving lots of miles down the backroads to find where those roads crossing the tracks go...

Google maps would probably be able to tell you, if only you could get someone to spend the time to follow the train lines and mark when they intersect with roads. In fact, street view would probably even let you see right from your desk which ones had barriers or signals...

[sammieuk1]

Not sure any amount of barriers or warning lights will make any difference to these lunatics seen the videos over the years to confirm ????

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Transport Minister orders signals and barriers installed at all railway crossings

as typical there are not preventive actions, only post actions/decisions after the loss of life, when they will learn how to start preventive adverse actions/effects

[ThailandRyan]

39 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

Excuse me?

What is that?

 

What do you mean exactly by ''not formally registered'' sir ?

 

The road exists, the railway too,  it's used and it's a public place since years, this location is 

supposed to be under the responsability of someone in the area or in the matter, paid for doing the job, why the job isn't done?

Already in 2016 

 

and now the same thing happens again

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12900650/horrific-train-crash-bus-thailand-cctv/

 

 

You can not just try to escape the problem like this

please at least show some more respect to the families victims 

they deserve better than this shameless lie

You have to wonder if and when a full investigation is done, they will find that the money had been in place to build said crossing and safety features but the money for the crossing safety features found it's way into someone's pockets.  Karma is a bitch and if what I wrote is true, then those responsible will get there sweet justice in the near future, but then Thai's believe that when they go that it was meant to be.  

Edited October 12, 2020 by ThailandRyan

[SAFETY FIRST]

I'm amazed that there was an accident, these trains travel so slow.

I witnessed a train stopping because the traffic was at a standstill across the level crossing at Soi Khao Talo.

Trains stopping for traffic queued across level crossings, this happens regularly.

[SpanishExpat]

It's not about the barriers or any signal signs. It's all about the education of the Thai population in regard to proactive driving!

Everyone knows that it will be impossible to educate them and I don't blame them for that, as they never were forced to learn it. What do you expect of a country who never really cared about traffic rules and road safety?

Even in Bangkok the absolute majority of the motorbike drivers cross red lights and as soon as it gets dark most cars don`t care about red lights on smaller crossings either.

Edited October 12, 2020 by SpanishExpat

[fangless]

I wonder who owns the biggest fencing company in Thailand!

 

There is no point of talking about formal crossings until the whole railway lines system is secured by very strong fences on both sides of the tracks for it's complete length to stop the construction of "ad hoc" crossings, as in most of the rest of the responsible and safety conscious world.
TIT!  

It will never happen.

Edited October 12, 2020 by fangless

[dimitriv]

1 hour ago, Pottinger said:

Why wasn't this done seventy years ago?

 

That is because Thailand was never occupied by a foreign country ????

[LoliLoso]

1 hour ago, JoePai said:

Hmm that wont work, how will you be able to weave from one side to the other to get around the barriers

I have seen many times especially motorcyclist weaving across the train crossing barricades inspite being lowered. You can't cure stupidity.

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Wouldn't it be better to make sure bus drivers have common sense and really know how to drive?

They would never find enough drivers with Common Sense and they will never bring in Laws that make potential Bus drivers have special lessons and pass special tests.  Ain't never gonna happen !

[Flying Saucage]

6 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I'm amazed that there was an accident, these trains travel so slow.

I witnessed a train stopping because the traffic was at a standstill across the level crossing at Soi Khao Talo.

Trains stopping for traffic queued across level crossings, this happens regularly.

But this is Thailand. Also the trains might often suffer from from the traditional Thai break failure.

[jabis]

6 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I'm amazed that there was an accident, these trains travel so slow.

I witnessed a train stopping because the traffic was at a standstill across the level crossing at Soi Khao Talo.

Trains stopping for traffic queued across level crossings, this happens regularly.

This was a freight train - Have you ever tried to stop a single 130 tonne wagon that's merrily rolling on rails - or 10*40 tonne loaded ones? ???? ( Easily a 2km+ effort to stop) 

" Yeah, Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Is just a freight train coming your way, yeah" - Metallica - No Leaf Clover 

[PatOngo]

The accident got a good audience from the morbid rubber necks!

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post (non-English language)