Gaybutton Posted October 19, 2009 Posted October 19, 2009 Now might not be a very good time to plan railroad travel in Thailand. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ 4,000 Stranded in Rail Chaos Passengers Furious as Union Calls More Strikes Published: 19/10/2009 More than 4,000 passengers have been stranded at Surat Thani station after drivers of eight South-bound trains walked off the job, aggravating woes from crippling union stoppages. The latest action came as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted a major overhaul of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) might be in order and the SRT board said it was planning an urgent meeting in coming days to discuss the problem. Eight long-haul trains from Bangkok to Yala, Trang and Nakhon Si Thammarat ground to a halt unannounced yesterday at Surat Thani station. Confused and angry passengers, including foreign tourists, demanded an explanation only to be told by the station public relations officer that the train drivers had left their posts. The announcement was greeted with boos and jeers. Vans and buses were arranged to take the passengers to their destinations. The station last night announced four Bangkok-bound trains which had been held up on Saturday would continue on their journey. The driver of the Bangkok-Kantang train also walked off the job yesterday at Lamae station in Chumphon, stranding more than 1,000 passengers. There were scenes of chaos as people pushed and shoved to use the toilets. Stranded passengers were not given any food or drink. Three passengers filed complaints with the district police in Surat Thani seeking damages of an unspecified amount from the SRT. Nattaya Winothapan, 68, who was travelling on the Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat train, said the carriages were packed after it picked up passengers abandoned by an express train which stopped running at Lamae station. Her train was then held up at Surat Thani station. "It's the internal squabbling," Ms Nattaya said. "The SRT people should be more considerate with their protest." Angry Yami Culloh, 60, of Yala, said she was appalled by the disruption. "I've had it with the trains. I'll never take the train again," she said. The railway union insisted drivers would stay off the job until the locomotives were safe to drive again. It said the system which applies the brakes automatically in emergencies was faulty in many locomotives. Union leader Sawit Kaeowan yesterday said passenger safety was the top priority and members of the union would not go back to work until the faulty locomotives were fixed. He said the length of the repairs depended on how quickly the spare parts could be delivered. Drivers have handed in leave letters which they hope can save them from disciplinary action. SRT chief engineer Krit Salongchaithawat said 55 mechanics and train drivers at Pak Nam Pho station in Nakhon Sawan and 76 at Hat Yai station had taken leave yesterday. The union said too many train engines were poorly maintained and did not pass inspection but SRT engineers say these claims are false. Meanwhile, Mr Abhisit said the SRT needed an all-round shake-up. A major organisational reform would be put in place if necessary. He said he did not think the strike action was politically motivated. Land Transport Department director-general Chairat Sanguansue and a member of the SRT board, said the board would schedule an urgent meeting to resolve the problem in the next few days. "These workers should think hard about the organisation that feeds them," he said. Wuthichai Kalayanamitr, president of the Transport Company Ltd, said there were enough buses to shuttle passengers stranded by the strike. Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said he had asked SRT management to meet him and explain the strike action. ____________________ And this, from THE NATION: _____ TRAIN ON STRIKE Suspended train services Published on October 19, 2009 Passengers Threaten to Sue SRT Passengers left stranded in Chumphon yesterday following an abrupt suspension of train services threatened to sue the State Railway of Thailand for compensation. Three of them filed complaints at Lae Mae Police Station after more than 2,000 of them, travelling on Train 167, were left at Lae Mae train station from 3am until 9am, before chartered buses took them further to their destination. But during the six-hour wait they had no assistance or service from local railway workers. The three said they needed police reports to pursue claims for damages from SRT for the delay. The union of the local SRT operation in Chumphon said later that the suspension of service was needed because a safety system called Vigilance installed on many locomotives did not work. Union leader Issara Kerdsodsri accused the SRT management of not caring about passengers, and not heeding requests made two years ago by local railway workers for the Vigilance system and additional equipment. At the Hat Yai railway junction in Songkhla, where the "work suspension" began, many passengers on Train 171 from Bangkok to Narathiwat had to carry their heavy luggage for a long distance to catch another train to continue their journey to the deep South. There was no porter service available to help them because support staff had also "suspended" their service. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the internal conflicts of the SRT should not be allowed to inconvenience commuters and interrupt railway service. On his weekly morning television address, Abhisit said he wondered why railway workers were permitted to take administrative leave at the same time. "The public is calling for reform of the SRT even under normal circumstances. So don't do anything that will be even more detrimental to your organisation. The government is looking into an overall plan regarding the SRT. A revised report will be submitted to the Cabinet in a few weeks. There is a need for a drastic overhaul [of the SRT]," he said. The SRT labour unions' call for a replacement for SRT governor Yutthana Tabjaroen needed to be taken into consideration, and if there was cause, other measures should be adopted instead of such strikes, he said. Quoting Transport Minister Sophon Saram, Abhisit said the SRT would now address the delays and disruptions of freight trains, while passenger trains were top priority to minimise the effects of the labour action. Sawit Kaewwan, head of the confederation of SRT labour unions, called on the ministry and the SRT to jointly solve problems regarding the safety systems of locomotives. Up to 90 per cent of all 196 locomotives were unfit for use due to inadequate maintenance and lack of spare parts and equipment, he said. "In some locomotives, whose windshield wipers are not in use, engineers have to improvise by making makeshift wipers operated by hand," he added. In Trang, two trains were suspended for the first time. Chartered buses were provided for passengers wishing to transfer. Those who bought tickets for trains that have been suspended could get full refunds. For more information, contact SRT's hotline at 1690 round the clock. The SRT in the afternoon announced an indefinite suspension of seven southbound passenger trains because of the ongoing absenteeism of staff. The suspended services were: Bangkok-Sungai Kolok rapid train No 171; Bangkok-Butterworth express train No 35; Bangkok-Sungai Kolok express train No 37; Bangkok-Yala rapid train No 169; Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat rapid train No 173; Bangkok-Kantang rapid train No 167; and Bangkok-Yala express train No 41. Remaining in service were Bangkok-Trang express train No 83 leaving at 5.05pm; Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat express train No 85 departing at 7.30pm; and Bangkok-Surat Thani express train No 39 leaving at 10.50pm. The SRT did not say when train services would be restored. Quote
PattayaMale Posted October 19, 2009 Posted October 19, 2009 Boy am I happy that when I tried to book a first class compartment to Chiang Mai the rail tickets were sold out! I would have left tonight.... I have never taken a train in Thailand so when my Thai friend decided to go fishing for a few days with some of his friends, I decided to take my own mini vacation which included and overnight train to Chiang Mai and then a stay at the new Lavender Hotel. Flying Bangkok Air instead Quote
