BANGKOK, 4 August 2014 – The Governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has laid down a deadline for railway reform, when assessing the pilot program of Women Only Train Carriages following the recent rape and murder tragedy aboard an overnight train.
After the introduction of a carriage for women and children on selected overnight services, the State Railway of Thailand will require three months to assess the progress of the initiative and will consider applying the program on more routes. Meanwhile the authorities are now speeding up installation of CCTV on every overnight service.
Members of the public are enthusiastic about women-only carriages after the State Railways of Thailand dedicated one bogie on some lines – on routes to Chiang Mai in the north, Sungai Kolok in the south, and Ubon Ratchathani and Nong Khai in the northeast which permit women and girls, as well as boys 10 years old or younger and no taller than 150 cm, to travel in safety. The carriages are staffed exclusively by women employees and police, said Mr. Tanongsak Pongprasert, director of the SRT’s service.
According to the survey most women passengers are satisfied with the campaign which has led to near capacity bookings for Thailand’s Mother day.
The SRT will assess the pros and cons of the campaign within three months before implementing the system on any other routes. To ensure safety and boost confidence in the SRT, CCTV cameras are being installed. The CCTV project will be piloted in the ‘women only carriages’ before being further installed throughout trains.
