Last week: Four collisions at level crossings
Not one accident happened at a level crossing last week, but that happened four times. Only the most serious on a resident-made transition in Khon Kaen made the papers.
A truck then collided with a train, resulting in four deaths and twenty injuries (photo home page). See Four killed in train-truck collision.
The other three accidents all happened on Wednesday. Shortly after noon, a passenger car collided with a train at a similar crossing in Bang Lamung (Chon Buri). Two persons were injured.
An hour later in Muang (Phetchaburi) a train crashed into a car. The two occupants did not survive. This collision took place on an official but unsecured level crossing.
Later that day in Phitsanulok, a train hit a train and a car, which was on a crossing. The vehicle's engine had stalled. The driver was injured.
The Railways (SRT) counted 127 accidents between October last year and September, resulting in 27 deaths and 91 injuries. Most (87 percent) occurred on an unsecured transition. The number of temporary transitions made by residents is steadily increasing. Usually it starts with a transition for motorcycles, later they are enlarged so that cars can also use them.
Closing those transitions is almost impossible for the SRT. “That is difficult due to opposition from villagers, who complain to politicians and local influential figures and want them to stay open,” said Pornsutti Thongsard, head of the SRT office. "There's not much we can do but let things take their course." However, the SRT has asked local authorities to install warning signs at illegal crossings.
The entire country has 2.517 level crossings: 877 are equipped with barriers; 755 are on the list to be addressed. For the current budget year (October 1-September 30), 130 railway crossings are to be nominated for railway crossings and a tunnel will be built under 118 crossings.
The Ministry of Transport will set up a panel to come up with a solution for the transitions that fall outside the SRT's jurisdiction. They are located in Lampang, Ratchaburi, Samut Sakhon, Phitsanulok and Prachuap Khiri Khan. The minister is thinking of warning signs, speed bumps and warning systems. According to him, all transitions involved can be equipped with this at the latest next year.
(Source: Bangkok Post, 3 November 2014)
Pictured above a transition in Ngew Rai (Nakhon Pathom).