Train travel to and from Malaysia resumes after tracks damaged by blast repaired
The State Railway of Thailand has reopened the route between Khlong Ngae Station in Songkhla province to Padang Besar in Malaysia after it was closed by an explosion in early December last year in Songkhla's Sadao district.
Aekkarat Sriarayanpong, the agency’s public relations director, said the severely damaged tracks had been repaired.
"Officials have already finished checks to ensure safe operations," he said.
Train travel opened today with three trains using the only rail link between Thailand and Malaysia:
- Special express train no 45/46 from Bangkok to Padang Besar
- Express train no 947/948 from Hat Yai junction to Padang Besar
- Express train no 949/950 from Hat Yai junction to Padang Besar
Train No 707 was travelling from Songkhla’s Hat Yai district to Padang Besar in Malaysia when a bomb blast derailed it as it approached Khlong Ngae Station at 12.50pm on December 3.
Eleven of its 20 containers derailed. The rail line’s tracks were also severely damaged. No one was injured in the initial blast.
However, a subsequent blast on the morning of December 6 killed three engineers and wounded four more. The blast occurred just metres from the site where the train derailed.
For more information on train travel to or from Malaysia contact the SRT call centre at 1690.
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