Hua Hin passenger train derailed

Post by **Big Boy** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:41 pm

STEVE G wrote:That is a mess; I didn't think those trains went fast enough to do that.

Don't you beleive it. The most horrific white knuckle ride of my life was from Wang Po to Kanchanaburi by train - a journey I'd done with no problem several times before.

On this occassion, I can only assume the tracks had buckled in the heat. For about a 20 mile stretch passengers and seats were being thrown about everywhere - the train did not slow down. It's a miracle that the train did not derail causing serious injuries or death.

Post by **PeteC** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:40 am

Now the real story starts to come out.

Pete
________________
8 killed as train derails
Driver may have dozed off, says top SRT source

Published: 6/10/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News Bangkok Post

Driver carelessness is suspected as a possible cause of a train derailment at Khao Tao station in Prachuap Khiri Khan which has left eight people dead and another 88 injured.

The Bangkok-bound express train from Trang derailed at Khao Tao station in Hua Hin district at 4.47am yesterday.

It left Trang at 5.20pm on Sunday and was supposed to arrive in Bangkok at 8.25am.

Twelve of 14 carriages on the train left the track, with six of them overturning and one slamming into the ground. Four carriages were badly damaged with the first railway staff car being the worst hit.

The State Railway of Thailand has estimated the damage from one of the deadliest accidents in Thai railway history to be at least 100 million baht.

The train was driven by Roengsak Panthep with Uthai Raksakhet the engineer. Mr Roengsak fled the scene.

Normally, a train has one driver and an assistant who is an engineer.

The SRT said Mr Roengsak failed to slow the train when approaching Khao Tao station to switch over to a second track as the main track was occupied by a southbound freight train.

The northbound train was travelling at 105km/h, too fast to get on to the other track, and that caused the derailment, said PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey, who paid a visit to the scene.

SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen, who also rushed to the scene, believed human error was the most likely cause because the driver had ignored an alert from Khao Tao station staff about the parked freight train.

But the SRT governor also did not rule out two other possibilities: poor weather conditions caused by heavy rain and the train's old equipment.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum promised to shed light on the cause of the accident in five days.

A high-ranking SRT source suspected the driver might have dozed off before the accident.

The source said Mr Roengsak jumped the light at Wang Phong station, which is eight kilometres south of Khao Tao.

Post by **Randy Cornhole** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:55 am

Hmmmmm

Post by **Sabai Jai** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:27 pm

Stating the obvious but still need saying again.

Such a shame that the Railways are so under resourced when you consider what has happened to the Roads in recent years.

When I first came to Hua Hin in the 80's the road to Bangkok was single carriage way and the train was a viable and cheap alternative-

The railway is still single track, and using the same rolling stock after all these years!

SJ

Post by **charlesh** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:19 pm

Living 1 Km from the scene. There was NO heavy rain unless it was like the proverbial pig pen cartoon character.

Did observe a number of "rescue" utes overtaking all and sundry on the way to the scene at 6:45 AM. Surprised the road toll wasn't increased!

My old man was a ganger/foreman in Oz for 30+ years and it is my humble opinion that track maintenance is somewhat a rarity here as it is in Oz nowadays. They seem to subscribe to the defect repair approach eg. Grandville disaster. Has become more of a potential prob. in Oz with the move to the private sector too!

PS how can you afford to run and maintain a railway here where most of its clients have been travelling free. Have a squizz at the dillapitated rolling stock and coaches also.

Post by **PeteC** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:39 am

The driver has been found, said he didn't run away, said he didn't fall asleep but passed out as he has some chronic illness.

I guess it would take one about 3 day to think up that story.

Pete

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... passed-out

Post by **charlesh** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:08 pm

New rolling stock now on order. I don't think !

Post by **Khundon1975** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:15 pm

So he wasn't pissed but only asleep. That's alright then.

R.I.P. to the dead.

Post by **buksida** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:54 pm

Driver of derailed train surrenders

Rerngsak Panthep, driver of the Bangkok-bound express train from Trang that derailed in Hua Hin on Monday surrendered to Hua Hin police on Friday.

The derailment, which was believed to have caused because the driver dozed off, killed 8 and injured 88 people. The accident caused the cancellation of 28 other passenger trains and five freight trains on Monday.

The State Railway of Thailand estimated the cause of damage to be around Bt129 million.

Mr Rerngsak surrendered before an arrest warrant for him is sought.

Mr Rerngsak, who refused to speak to reporters, was taken for interrogation right away to find the real cause behind the tragedy.

Source Bangkok Post

Post by **sandman67** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:22 pm

really you would think that Thailand would do better in world sporting events involving running, as it seems the natural Thai response to accidents of any sort is to do a runner.

Post by **charlesh** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:55 pm

If they are admitting golf as an Olympic sport why not lieing and running ??
Loved the way the poor basta-d was tried and convicted in the press before his surrender! The admission by the spokesman post accident re: its causes, his employer, sure does a lot for the confidence of the general employee.
Guilty until proven innocent!!! Anyone know a "good" lawyer ??

Post by **Lung Per** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:58 pm

I guess comments are superflous.

Post by **PeteC** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 8:46 am

A related story concerning the SRT that may be of interest. I think this is the line BB was taking about on his 'white knuckle' ride? Pete

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... th-railway

Post by **PeteC** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:23 pm

Close to a conclusion it appears, but another can of worms being opened. Pete

_______________
Train driver to be sacked
Published: 12/10/2009 at 02:24 PM
Transport, Bangkok Post

The committee investigating the fatal Oct 5 derailment has recommended the train driver be sacked for ignoring a stop signal, resulting in the deaths of eight passengers and injury to more than 80 others, State Railway of Thailand deputy governor Pakorn Tangjetsakao said on Monday.

Mr Pakorn, who chaired the inquiry, said the panel found Roengsak Panthep, 49, the driver of the Trang-Bangkok train, was at fault because the train, while under his control, jumped the stop light at Wang Phong station, leading to the derailment at Ban Khao Tao station in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district.

The committee resolved to sack Mr Roengsak for reckless driving causing deaths and injuries.

The engineer and train crew face a face a 15 per cent salary cut for 10 months for failing to alert the driver to the need to comply with the regulations.

Mr Roengsak, who later surrendered to Hua Hin police, said he was suffering from high blood pressure. Before going on duty on Oct 5 he took medication for fever and an allergy that made him drowsy, leading to the derailment.

The driver said during the five months before the accident he had only one day off.

The committee ruled that the accident was not caused by problems with the signal, the train or other equipment, but by the driver's error.

The committee's ruling will be forwarded to a disciplinary committee, before going to the SRT board for approval, Mr Pakorn said.

About 100 train workers led by Sawit Kaewwan, president of the SRT labour union, rallied in front of the Transport Ministry today, demanding that Yutthana Thapcharoen be dismissed as SRT governor for administrative failure.

The workers said Mr Yutthana put the blame on the train driver, but the main cause of the accident was shortage of staff, causing employees to be overworked.

They said in fact the train that derailed had malfunctioned in several areas, including the automatic brake system.

They pointed out that Mr Yutthana had already been found by the Office of the Auditor-General to have been involved in alleged irregularities over the Sunday market's operation, the workers said.

The train workers vowed to remain in front of the ministry until they receive a responses from Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum. More rail employees would be called in from other provinces to join the protest if necessary, they said.

Post by **Big Boy** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:56 pm

prcscct wrote:A related story concerning the SRT that may be of interest. I think this is the line BB was taking about on his 'white knuckle' ride? Pete

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... th-railway

Yes, that's the one.