PM orders full evaluation of SRT's locomotive fleet

The condition of the nation's locomotives will be examined by independent experts following strident calls from the State Railway of Thailand union that lives are being put at risk.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ordered the checks after meeting SRT managers and Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum yesterday. He heard the union's concerns when he met them on Tuesday.

Mr Abhisit said he would ask a neutral academic body to check the locomotives and decide whether they were safe enough to serve the public.

The union stopped train services in Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat from Oct 16 to 28, citing train safety concerns, while SRT managers insisted the trains, while old, were well maintained.

The prime minister also ordered an investigation into the union's claim that the SRT deliberately stopped a southern train at Lamae station in Chumphon on Oct 16, stranding passengers.

Mr Abhisit also told SRT management to relax its stance on six railway employees who were sacked for joining the union's southern railway strike last month.

Managers were told to lift the ban that prohibits the six staff from entering SRT property.

The union earlier complained that the ban blocked the six from filing an appeal against their dismissal.

The union says the government is trying to privatise the state enterprise. Mr Abhisit rejected the claim, insisting it was just being restructured to improve efficiency.

Transport Minister Sohpon said he agreed to let the six dismissed staff enter the SRT compound but insisted the decision against them would stand.

Managers were entitled to stop trains if passenger safety was at stake. The SRT had not abandoned the passengers in Chumphon, but sent buses to take them to their destinations, he said.

Earlier reports suggested the SRT had stopped the trains to prevent the railway union from hijacking them.

Mr Sohpon said he was willing to cooperate with Mr Abhisit's safety inquiry as long as neutral and acceptable academics conducted the audit.

The Transport Ministry and the SRT management acted properly when it came to train safety, he said.

Mr Sohpon said the ministry would not privatise the SRT but would only form business units to run operations and oversee SRT property assets.