PHRAE — Passengers in the north were stranded overnight after a freight train derailed, blocking the northern rail line.
State Railway workers Friday morning removed the freight train after its locomotive left the tracks in the Long district of Phrae at about 6:40pm last night, stranding about 500 passengers at the Lampang City station. The train was heading to Lampang’s Mae Mo district. The railway said full service should be restored by noon.
The accident shut down the whole northern line. Bangkok-bound trains were stopped at Lampang City station, while those going to Chiang Mai were forced to wait at the Sila At station in Uttaradit or the Den Chai station in Phrae.
It was unclear how many passengers were affected. The State Railway’s acting governor Voravuth Mala could not immediately be reached for comment.
Voravuth said in July that there are about 80,000 train passengers daily, both Thai and foreigners.
Tassayan Payakmin, chief of Lampang City station, said yesterday that affected passengers could get a full refund for their tickets. They could also continue their journeys by bus via free shuttles to be provided.
On Friday morning, the authorities sent shuttle buses to ferry stranded passengers between Lampang to Sila At and Den Chai, where special trains would take them to their intended destinations north or south.
