(CTN News) – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) shuttered Thailand’s longest train tunnel shortly after it opened on Sunday for a 14-day clean-up after passengers complained about dense dust inside.
SRT suspends operations for two weeks to conduct a deep clean of the tunnel after videos posted of dust entering carriages.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) halted services through the Phasadet tunnel, Thailand’s longest railway tunnel at 5.2 km, yesterday (July 28), just hours after it opened. The decision was made after videos of dust billowing into carriages were shared online.
Repairs are estimated to take two weeks, with the tunnel due to reopen on August 12.
A foreign Facebook user provided images and a video of high winds blowing dust onto the train, as well as a heavy diesel smell.
Key Facts About Thailand’s Longest Railway Tunnel
Ekkarat Sriarayanpong, chief of the SRT Governor’s Office, stated that in response to the post, Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote directed the SRT to fix the situation as soon as possible. SRT’s special projects and construction departments were quick to inspect the area.
They discovered that the dust pushed into the tunnel by strong winds during construction had accumulated, and that despite the contractors’ employment of fans to clear it before to the opening, a powdery residue remained.
The SRT is currently collaborating with the contractor to fully clean the tunnel using water and fans, which will take 14 days.
During the cleaning procedure, the SRT will temporarily reroute 14 passenger trains on the Ubon Ratchathani line back to their original route: Map Kabao – Phasadet – Hin Lap – Muak Lek, a distance of 18 kilometres that takes 32 minutes to complete.
Following the cleaning, SRT will check and test the route before returning to normal operations.
Phasadet Tunnel, located in Saraburi Province, is Thailand’s longest railway tunnel. It is a double tunnel with separate tracks for each direction and is part of the new double-track railway between Map Kabao and Muak Lek, a 14-kilometer route that reduces travel time to 15 minutes.
Source: Bangkok Post
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