Rail safer than roads at Songkran with 4.7m passengers but only one accident
Over 4.7 million people travelled safely by train during the five-day Songkran holiday from Tuesday to Saturday (April 11-15), with just one minor accident reported.
In contrast, 197 people died in 1,744 traffic accidents on the road during the same period.
The Department of Rail Transport recorded 4,738,213 rail journeys taken over the traditional New Year festival, slightly lower than its estimate of 4.82 million trips.
Thailand’s biggest annual festival officially ran from April 13-15 this year, but many people take a few days off before or after Songkran to prolong visits to relatives in their hometowns.
Of the total number of train trips taken during the five days, most of them (4,392,522) were on electric trains in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, said Phichet Khunatham, the department’s deputy director-general.
BTS Skytrain Green and Gold lines recorded the most passengers with 2,774,098, followed by the MRT Blue Line at 1,178,494 and the Airport Rail Link at 241,383.
Interprovincial trains run by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) recorded 345,691 trips during five days of Songkran. The southern route saw the heaviest traffic with 112,230 passengers, followed by northeastern and northern routes at 94,501 and 66,819, respectively.
The department reported no malfunctions, but one accident on the rail system during the five-day festival. The No 4385 train bound for Samut Songkhram scraped a parked pickup truck that was protruding onto the track. However, the accident caused no injuries or fatalities.
The railway is considered one of the safest modes of transport in Thailand.
In sharp contrast, the nationwide death toll from road accidents rose to 197 with 1,738 injuries during the first five days of Songkran’s so-called “Seven Dangerous Days”.
An average of 39.4 people were killed every day on the roads from April 11-15, 10.5% down on last year.
Most accidents were caused by speeding (35.37%), followed by drink driving (25.72%). More than three-quarters of accidents (78.93%) involved motorcycles.
Authorities on Monday reported traffic was building up as people returned from their Songkran holiday.
