Bangkok rail crossing safety overhaul planned after deadly crash

Police are ready to coordinate with the State Railway of Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and other relevant agencies to overhaul safety at all railway crossings in Bangkok in the hope of preventing a repeat of Saturday’s fatal train-bus collision at the Makkasan crossing, which killed eight people and injured many others.

Pol Lt-Gen Trairong Phiwpan, the police spokesman, said today that police will meet with relevant agencies to discuss all aspects of railway crossing safety, including traffic flow and signalling, traffic law enforcement and engineering issues.

He said the police do not regard such a tragic incident as a normal road accident, but will investigate and identify everyone who should be held accountable.

So far, three individuals have been charged with negligence. They are the train driver, the bus driver and the signalman stationed at the Makkasan railway crossing.

Experts point out, however, that human error is rarely the sole cause of accidents at railway crossings in the capital. Traffic conditions, motorists’ lack of discipline, the physical condition of roads and rail tracks and the limited space behind train barriers all contribute to such accidents.

Experts say several roads at railway crossings are at the same level as the rail tracks and that the space between the tracks and nearby traffic lights is often insufficient.

As a result, some vehicles become stranded on the tracks between the traffic lights and barriers, unable to move because of traffic congestion.

Moreover, traffic lights near some railway crossings are not synchronised with approaching train warning systems, the experts said, adding that some motorists habitually jump traffic lights in an attempt to avoid getting stuck while a train passes.