BANGKOK, March 28 – State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has given assurances that trains and track will be ready to serve travelers during the Songkran festival, Thailand’s traditional New Year, later this month, according to SRT Governor Prapat Chongsanguan.
Mr Prapat said that SRT expects to see large numbers of passengers using railway services during the long holiday despite the maintenance work of rail tracks for southbound routes were not finished.
He said the SRT engineers were instructed to wrap up the maintenance work and restore tracks for temporary service for the Songkran holidays.
Mr Prapat said he has instructed train drivers to slow engine speeds down by half, to not exceed 35 km/hr, while passing tracks which were under maintenance to ensure safety for the passengers.
He said maintenance for the northern line is almost completed and should be ready to facilitate travelers during the upcoming long holiday.
SRT will also add train services from Bangkok to the provinces to meet an expected jump in passengers who would normally go to the provinces during this period of the year. An additional 12 trains will be operated free of charge during the April 11-12 and another 20 free trains during April 19-20.
