The train accident in Phrae province last Wednesday is a stark reminder for the State Railway of Thailand and the Transport Ministry of what should be their priority.
While the two agencies are in delirium about the planned high-speed train project, which could change the ways in which people move from one place to another, their low-speed trains are struggling to reach the terminals.
The Nakhon Ping express train leaving Hua Lamphong on that Tuesday night's schedule offers a good example of one of the problems which has been sitting on the SRT's desk for decades.
Seven cars skidded off the track at 3.45am on Wednesday as the engine was taking a curve on the hilly terrain between Pak Pan and Kaen Luang stations in Den Chai district. At that time its speed was only 40kph, 5kph lower than the driver is allowed, according to an initial report from the SRT investigation.
Luckily, the accident was not fatal, but still there were injuries to 30 passengers, most of them tourists, and that should be bad enough to signify what needs to be fixed. It was the seventh accident in four months on this northern track alone, this being the most serious.
Damaged tracks were blamed for that accident, as they are the same reason for most of the accidents that occurred before. What happened on Wednesday will not be the last until the track is regularly and properly maintained for the safety of passengers.
With all of the accidents on the Chiang Mai line taking place between Phrae and Lampang provinces, it is not that difficult to pinpoint the locations to put at the top of the list of jobs for railway staff responsible for track work. The line from Den Chai all the way to Lampang zigzags through forests and mountains, making trains vulnerable to derailment. The SRT has not made known to the public how much the damage is worth. But trains could not run between Den Chai and Lampang stations for 20 hours until the line reopened on Thursday.
With speed capped at 90kph, trains have long been out of the running for travellers, as far as an efficient form of transport is concerned. The coming of the no-frills airlines, which sometimes offer ticket prices that are only slightly more expensive than a first-class train ticket, is piling more misery on to the SRT. That is one reason why train passengers plunged from 85 million two decades ago to 45 million a year in 2010. What keeps trains going are safety and the pleasure of riding the rails for travellers who are willing to sacrifice time. But the accident-prone northern line will make train loyalists think twice before buying a ticket. Many on the Nong Khai line in the northeastern region are already giving up on trains as a result of often arriving at their destinations up to three hours later than the schedule.
Safety and punctuality could be greatly improved if the SRT instigates a dual-track system. The country has a rail network covering 4,136km, almost all of which is single track. It plans to build some 700km of dual tracks in a new project - which is not enough, but better than nothing. The dual tracks and rehabilitated lines across the country will enable engines to increase speed to 120kph once completed.
Unfortunately, the present plight of the railway agency is rarely mentioned by the ministry, as it and the government seem to be more consumed by the thought of having high-speed trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Rayong, Nong Khai and Padang Besar in Sadao district of Songkhla province.
The high-speed project is just a distraction to lift the profile of the government.
The basic problem of the railway, however, must be addressed - and urgently fixed - before more serious accidents happen. Trains running at 200kph plus will come one day, but in the meantime it is those running at a slower speed that are in dismal condition and need pulling out of the tunnel of despair - and of debt as well.
Saritdet Marukatat is digital media news editor, Bangkok Post.