The frequent derailments of mainline trains this year are being blamed on a raft of problems besetting the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), ranging from internal conflicts and insufficient funding to problems with policy priority.
In this file photo, railway officials inspect a Phitsanulok- Bangkok train after it derailed near Laksi station in Bangkok in April. Three passengers were injured. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
Between the start of the year and Sept 13, 114 trains have derailed, or 11 every month on average, compared with 89 derailments in the whole of 2012.
In the first national economic and social development plan, launched in 1961, trains were positioned as the country's main mode of transport.
But as Thailand became more industrialised, roads were given overriding importance, leading to a rapid expansion of the nationwide road network.
The SRT has been in the red since 1987, with accumulated losses topping 70 billion baht.
The SRT was inaugurated during the reign of King Rama V in 1896, 24 years after Japan established its own national railway.
There have been mishaps from time to time involving train crashes and derailments. However, the frequency of trains jumping tracks has risen sharply in recent months.
The problem has been attributed to ageing tracks and sleepers. Some 64% of the SRT's 4,043km of tracks are at least 38 years old, and 31% of the sleepers are wooden. The wooden sleepers are progressively being replaced with concrete ones.
Derailments are most common in hilly areas in Phrae, Lampang, Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
There is also a high risk of accidents at train crossings. Figures show 988 railroad crossings nationwide do not have barricades.
The SRT has commissioned a study to revamp its organisation by separating the management of its assets, train operation and maintenance units for greater administration flexibility.
However, the plan has not made headway as the restructuring of the train operation lacks a clear policy direction and the budget fell short of what was needed.
A former SRT executive who asked not to be named blamed the serious problems riddling the railway on conflicts among high-level executives and a lack of funds to expand routes and replace tracks.
Some SRT executives have warned that many tracks are at the end of their lifespans.
The source said conflicts among senior management have persisted for a long time and are compounding the state railway's administrative woes.
During the tenure of previous governor Yutthana Thapcharoen, disunity at the top was rife, the former executive said.
Deputies were not cooperating with the governor, which led to certain key projects being stalled. Some senior executives thought if they were productive, the governor would take the credit for their achievements.
"This really is a grave concern. It seems some executives are not loyal to their organisation," the source said.
Incumbent SRT governor Prapas Chongsanguan has ordered a probe to determine whether the derailments have been caused by human error, faulty tracks or the trains themselves.
He voiced support for a revival of the old practice of conducting regular track surveys.
These would be conducted on foot by track layers, signal officers and repairmen.
Mr Prapas said the surveys were stopped four years ago because of disputes among senior executives.
He admitted many tracks and trains were in bad shape and it would cost about 70 billion baht to bring the tracks alone up to standard.
There is a limited budget to repair and maintain tracks, he said, and bureaucratic red tape was also holding back the execution of policies.
Tracks in Bangkok and surrounding provinces are in a worse condition than those elsewhere because they are used more often, he said.
"Past governments thought it was more important to build more roads [than to invest in the national railway]," Mr Prapas said. "The budget the SRT requested was cut because people who approved the funds did not thoroughly understand the SRT's problems."