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.