Thailand Steps Up Check-Ups On Railroads During Torrid Summer

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has intensified its inspections on railroads across the country to prevent accidents, probably caused by railroad expansion due to high temperatures, as the Kingdom is facing a torrid summer this year. An SRT director, Pornsuthi Thongsaad, told reporters on Saturday that SRT Governor Yuthana Tapcharoen has ordered SRT officials to inspect nationwide railroads more frequently, especially during mid-day, to prevent such the accidents, including any train derailment, as rail tracks may bend and expand when they get hot. The order came just days after four oil tankers train bogies derailed in Bangkok’s Don Muang area, spilling a large amount of crude oil in its vicinity. As part of the SRT safety measures, Pornsuthi acknowledged, the officials will increase their inspections on railroads from two to four times each day, with each of them assigned to cover a 18- kilometer-section of rail tracks. According to the SRT director, survey vehicles equipped with temperature measuring device will also be sent out to randomly examine the temperatures on railroads at different locations and if any railway was detected to have a temperature of over 50 degree Celsius, the officials would pour water to cool it down. The director said that SRT engineers have also been told to immediately report to a nearest rail station if they detected any curve or kink on rail tracks so that prompt actions can be taken for the sake of public safety. (TNA)