The train was carrying both oil and cement when it came off the tracks at 01:30 near Nong Lom Station. A State Railways of Thailand (SRT) spokesperson said a broken wheel guard on one of the train’s bogeys had caused the derailment. Most of the train’s 13 bogeys tipped onto their sides and spilt oil all over the tracks.
Due to the spilt oil, the area was cordoned off. The SRT spokesperson said the bogeys had been removed and the oil cleaned off the tracks by 22:00 on Wednesday. SRT engineers estimated that up to 300,000 litres of diesel had leaked from the ruptured tankers.
Once the blockage was cleared, train services between Bangkok and Chiang Mai were able to pass. The oil tankers on the derailed train were being transported between Saraburi and the main PTT oil storage depot in Chiang Mai.
Passengers who use trains on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route frequently say that despite the occasional disruption the service is the most comfortable means of travel. 12GO ASIA sells tickets for first and second class seats and sleeping berths on this route.
Train services to Chiang Mai back on track
News in Asia
Thailand’s state railway operator announced yesterday that services had resumed to the northern city of Chiang Mai. The line was closed in the province of Lamphun early on Wednesday morning following the derailment of a goods train.