The Transport Ministry is planning to seek 32 billion baht from the government to improve warnings at railway crossings following a recent rise in fatal collisions between trains and street vehicles.
Four people died and 20 were seriously injured Oct 30 when this Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai train No 413 hit a 10-wheel truck, demolishing the lorry and derailing several passenger train bogeys at a "convenience" railway track crossing in Khon Kaen's Muang district. (Photo by Jakkrapan Nathanri)
Transport deputy permanent secretary Chartchai Thipsunawee said the ministry is preparing plans for better warning systems in response to Transport Minister Prajin Juntong's directive to reduce the number of accidents involving trains and cars.
The plan will be submitted to ACM Prajin for consideration before it is sent to the cabinet for approval, Mr Chartchai said.
He said ACM Prajin was concerned about the increasing number of accidents involving trains and cars at railway crossings in past months.
The problem became so bad in October that crashes were a near-daily occurrence.
During a single week that month, six people were killed and 21 seriously injured at railway crossings.
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A major source of the danger has been the proliferation of illegal makeshift crossings, places where residents erect shortcuts over the tracks. Attempts to remove them are often met with resistance.
Mr Chartchai is the head of a panel set up to improve warning systems at both sanctioned crossings and at
makeshift ones.
Mr Chartchai said the ministry's plans would be completed by the end of 2018, but he said urgent action would be taken to deal with the makeshift crossings.
Under the urgent plans, improvements to 584 makeshift railway crossings nationwide will be made immediately.
The installation of warning signals is part of the plan.
These plans are expected to be completed next year and would cost about 58 million baht, he said.
Long-term improvement plans include the installation of automatic warning systems that include motion sensors and better gates, Mr Chartchai said.
About 1,109 crossings need to be improved, and he said about 4.4 billion baht would be needed to cover the long-term plans, which would run from
2016 to 2018.
Mr Chartchai said the Department of Highways and Department of Rural Roads are also working on a plan to devise safer crossings in other accident-prone areas.
He said the two departments had come up with plans to construct bridges over the crossings, or dig tunnels under them.
The Department of Highways estimates it may need 24 billion baht for the construction of bridges or tunnels at 83 crossings.
The Department of Rural Roads would need 4.1 billion baht for 18 such construction works, Mr Chartchai said.