Stories tagged with trains
-
Travellers chuffed as train strike ends
Many residents of Chiang Mai and those passing through the capital will have breathed a sigh of relief as it was announced on Tuesday that the trains would start running again.
The State Railway of Thailand labour union announced the end of their two day nationwide strike, during which trains throughout Thailand had been at a complete standstill. The decision to return to work was announced after members of the State Railway of Thailand labour union met with a number of cabinet ministers in a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart.
As a result of the talks, which lasted for about one hour, it was agreed that the SRT labour union will be permitted to take part in a review of the entire restructuring plan along with the SRT board. It had been feared that the government were planning to privatise the state railway, but these rumours have been strongly denied.
''Don't worry. There will be no privatisation,'' Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post. ''The rehabilitation plan is aimed at reducing debt."
Posted by: Andrew on 24 Jun 2009, 08:55 -
Thailand Laos passenger train service launched
Last Thursday, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand presided over the inauguration of a new passenger rail service connecting the town of Nong Khai, in the northeast of the country, with Thanaleng, in Laos, which is situated on the Mekong River, outside of the capital Vientiane.
The royal princess left by train from Udon Thani, Thailand, at 9:00am, on the one hour trip to Nong Khai, where she then embarked on the first trip of the 3.5km rail service linking Thailand and Laos.
In Nong Khai, a State Railway of Thailand library was officially opened by the princess before she took the historic rail journey crossing the Mekong River to Thanaleng station. Once across the border, the royal princess co-chaired the official opening of the cross-border service the vice president of Lao PDR, Bounnhang Vorachith.
In the second-class, air-conditioned carriage, the fare is 80 baht per trip, and in third class, the cost is 20 baht. Four return trips will be offered daily, with revenues expected to reach 10 million baht during the line’s first year.
Initially, two daily round trips will be offered, with the train parked overnight at the Nong Khai station in Thailand.
Posted by: Andrew on 11 Mar 2009, 13:59 -
More trains in service for New Year
The State Railways of Thailand (SRT) has announced it will be adding an extra 18 train trips during the New Year holiday season to accommodate the expected flood of travellers. SRT Governor Yuthana Tapcharoen said that the extra trains will supplement the normal 264 scheduled trains that service the north and northeast of Thailand.
There will be more trains departing Bangkok for the north on 29 and 30 December, and inbound trains to Bangkok will be boosted on 4 January. In addition, more carriages will be added to every train in order to meet the passenger demand, which is predicted to rise by 10 per cent. On a normal day, around 110,000 people travel on Thailand’s trains.
Yuthana Tapcharoen told reporters that train passenger numbers have increased by 30 per cent in recent months due to traveller uncertainty over the reliability of Bangkok’s airports as well the free train services offered under ex-prime minister Samak Sundaravej’s administration.
The existing free services on third class trains will continue throughout the New Year season. Currently, every seat on trains during the New Year period is booked. Officials predict train travel will continue to increase in popularity and have ordered extra security measures such as CCTV cameras at stations and better checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the stations.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Dec 2008, 09:20 -
Flooding cuts trains to northern Thai
Several days of heavy rains in the northern and central provinces of Thailand have caused severe disruptions to travel in this part of the country. It Uttaradit, several trains heading from Bangkok to Chiang Mai have been suspended because many sections of the rail track are submerged under flood waters.
All train passengers were forced to disembark and use the buses to continue their travels. The government has also issued landslide warnings for all areas are around Uttaradit, a town in the north-central part of Thailand. A total of 189 villages are still considered at risk of landslides or mudslides.
The neighbouring northern city of Phrae was also hit by the railway problems. Both cargo and passenger trains have been stuck in Phrae trying to get to Bangkok for days now due to the flooded tracks. Senior State Railways of Thailand official Charn Tansiri said they may begin moving again by Monday or Tuesday.
Other areas of Thailand hit heavily by flooding and heavy rain are Tak, Kamphaengphet, Chaiyaphum, Chaiyanat and neighbouring Ang Thong. Houses, roads and farmland have all been heavily hit by the water. Travellers planning to visit anywhere in the northern or central parts of Thailand should be prepared for travel delays. Check in with The Nation newspaper for the latest.
Posted by: Andrew on 03 Nov 2008, 01:37 -
Thailand’s trains back in service
In a welcome return to a semblance of normality, Thailand’s State Railway authority has resumed operation on nearly all of its train lines. Train services across the nation had been stopped by railway staff two weeks ago in support of the PAD anti-government protest.
As of Tuesday September 9th, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Yutthana Thapcharoen stated that almost all of the rail service was running on its normal schedules again, with the exception of the southern routes, many of which remain suspended. Trains nationwide were stopped for nearly two weeks while the railway organisation’s labour union called in sick to show their opinion of the government’s brutal treatment of PAD protestors.
Yutthana Thapcharoen said that the main lines are all online, but 38 of the 64 services in southern Thailand remain suspended. Lines in the northeast of the country are operating normally as well, although there is rumour that SRT workers may be planning a strike in the coming days. The cost of the strike to the private sector has been enormous, and the SRT is still trying to find a workable solution for all parties involved. Many tourists have found themselves searching for alternative means of travel during the past two weeks of nationwide protests.
Posted by: Andrew on 11 Sep 2008, 04:30 -
Killer crossings on Thai railways
It’s just as well the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has just the one main line running up and down the length of the country as the amount of accidents at its level crossings of late is staggering.
The main reason being that many crossings have been built illegally by local people who are too lazy to cross at designated crossings. According to the railway traffic manager, Siripong Pruetiphan, the SRT ‘can do nothing to stop this kind of encroachment.’
Accident figures released by the SRT for 2006 numbered 185 involving trains and vehicles at railway crossings, with 53 deaths and 190 injuries. In 2007, the number of accidents almost doubled to 327.
Trains hitting animals and vehicles running into level crossings cause even further delays.
These startling figures - not unlike those of rural India - not only cause needless loss of life but add to the misery of passengers through hefty delays and cost the SRT in fuel.
According to Mr Siripong there are 2,443 crossings nationwide, of which just 1,908 were built with SRT permission. The other 535 were built illegally by local administrators mostly in remote areas.
The upshot of all these extra crossings is delays and extra costs for the SRT. Train drivers need to slow down when they approach a crossing and the effort to regain speed uses more fuel.
Tourists traveling by train, especially in rural areas, should allow plenty of extra time at the destination end to allow for any delays.
More on Rail travel in Thailand
Posted by: Andrew on 29 Apr 2008, 04:56 -
State Railway to slash fares
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has decided to slash the price of short-range fares amid a world of rising oil prices.
The move will take place in February and according to the head of the State Railway of Thailand’s public relations department, Pairat Rotecharoen-ngarm, the notion is to help out commuters who already have to cope with increasing expenditure all round due to higher oil prices.
‘Starting on February 1, express trains traveling less than 300kms will have their fares slashed’ says Pairat Rotecharoen-ngarm.
Tariffs will come down to 20 baht for the first 50kms; 30 baht for a distance of less than 150kms; and just 50 baht for a distance of less then 300kms.
The price reductions will also be of benefit to budget travelers in Thailand on short journeys, including the likes of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and Bangkok to Hua Hin.
The ticketing system has also been adjusted and improved upon by the SRT, which will see more efficiency in postponement and ticket reimbursement systems.
For more details on the move, contact SRT’s 24-hour hotline on 1690.
Train times to and from Bangkok
Posted by: Andrew on 23 Jan 2008, 11:10