Suspended train services affecting schools in the South

Officials were checking track near Hat Yai train station following a nearmiss yesterday. Earlier in the day, a train driver and mechanics from the Bangkokbased State Railway of Thailand attempted to drive a train out of the station but soon later found ou

It looks as if more students will be skipping classes next week, while a number of schools, largely Islamic ones, in the three southernmost provinces stay temporarily closed because of the lack of students.

In a related report, two trains came close to collision at the Hat Yai railway junction in Songkhla. Train 463, commandeered by drivers from Bangkok failed to comply with traffic signals and braked at the last minute before it hit another train, prompting an angry reaction from protesting local workers, who later tried to seize Train 463.

A onehourlong confrontation between protesting railway workers and police commandos, protecting the locomotive, ensued and was later resolved by negotiations between both sides.

The House committee on ThaiMalaysian border affairs yesterday called on State Railways of Thailand workers to resume the train service because the problem was worsening and having an adverse effect on students as well as pilgrims waiting to go on Haj.

Democrat MP for Yala Prasert Pongsuwannasiri said the workers' claim that service had been suspended for security reasons was not justifiable, as most of the trains had managed to survive insurgent attacks and even the killings of railway workers on board. Therefore, he said, the excuse that they were concerned about their passengers' welfare was unacceptable.

Around 50 members representing all stateenterprise labour unions met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday demanding that he sort out the issue as well as replace SRT governor Yutthana Tabjaroen.

The talks lasted just 10 minutes because the workers and the SRT management could not settle anything. The union members wanted the SRT to sign an agreement that it would be responsible for any accidents involving locomotives without sufficient safety equipment and also insisted that protesting workers not be punished. On the other hand, the SRT wants the train service to resume unconditionally before any talks began.

Sawit Kaewwan said his group was not satisfied with the talks and that no trains in the three southernmost provinces would go into service unless all 21 locomotives were equipped with safety features. There are only 13 locomotives that have all safety features in place at present. Sawit added that none of the SRT workers had violated the law or employment regulations by suspending the service, adding that Abhisit would be in violation if he punished lawabiding railway workers.