Off the rails and going nowhere

Phromphong Nopharit, spokesman of the Pheu Thai Party, has said the State Railway of Thailand's union strike is politically motivated. He accused some leading members of the SRT unions of colluding with the New Politics Party and the Abhisit government in an attempt to remove the SRT Governor, Yuthana Thapcharoen, from office. Behind this motivation is the alleged vested interest of benefiting from land development and other SRT projects.

We do not have evidence to support Phromphong's charges. Incidentally, the Cabinet will soon deliberate upon a proposal to reform the SRT following the recent tragic rail accident at Khao Tao, Hua Hin. The derailment there caused seven passengers to lose their lives. After an investigation, the state railway agency imposed penalties on three staff. The subsequent strike by some 200 members of the SRT union has caused enormous damage to the country's transport network and timetable, reflecting the chronic problems of the state railway. The strike started last Friday, effectively paralysing traffic to the South.

As of press time, rail services from Bangkok could only reach Surat Thani. From Surat Thani there were limited train services further south, though many passengers have opted to travel on by bus.

The demand from the union is not justifiable at all. Firstly, it wants the government to sack Governor Yutthana. Secondly, it wants the SRT to overhaul all locomotives for safety measures.

All governments coming into office have the glamorous idea of overhauling the money-losing SRT. Although Thailand began rail operations during the time of King Chulalongkorn, more than 100 years ago, our rail service today remains at a pathetic, third-world standard. Japan, which started its rail service at around the same time as Thailand, now boasts the world's most sophisticated rail network, with links reaching almost every corner of the country. In most European countries, travelling by train is one of the most convenient and enjoyable ways of getting around.

There appears to be a secret agreement between politicians and the union, the road contractors and car-makers not to allow the SRT to prosper. Politicians want to benefit from the land development projects of the SRT, which holds a rich reserve of property throughout the country. At the same time, the union wants to defend its interest in the SRT by keeping it the way it is.

The road contractors and the carmakers would stand to lose if the railway service is upgraded. Thailand has been developing its automotive industry and building new roads continuously, while ignoring the development of the rail service, which is more efficient in moving people from place to place.

Since the average tenure of Thai governments is short due to political instability, there has been a clear absence of leadership and willingness to turn the SRT around and pour in fresh investment to make it the number one means of transport for the travelling public. Most Thais now rely on cars for transport, resulting in a huge waste of energy and a lack of efficiency. On many routes it would certainly be more convenient - if the rail service was improved - to travel by train.

The problems at the SRT require a long-term solution. We are at a loss over how it should be tackled.