Pink Line rail fell in Nonthaburi

Pink Line rail fell in Nonthaburi
A vehicle was damaged when the conductor rail of the Pink Line fell in Nonthaburi province early Sunday morning. (Photo: Chalee Radio Station)

Several kilometres of an aluminum conductor rail of the elevated Pink Line monorail system fell on to a street in Nonthaburi early Sunday morning. Three vehicles were damaged. No casualties were reported.

The incident happened at about 5am along Tiwanon Road in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi. The metal rail with a distance of about five kilometres fell from the elevated structure of the Pink Line from Chon Prathan market to Khae Rai intersection. Conductor rails normally supply power to electric trains.

Eyewitnesses were vendors who parked their vehicles on the road while arranging their merchandise at the market. They said they saw bolts fell first and the rail then collapsed and hit their vehicles. The falling rail also pulled one high-power pole which consequently leaned.

One of the vendors said that if the incident happened when a train was passing, the damage would be far greater. Nearby one Pink Line train stopped near Soi Tiwanon 25 Road. The whole system was scheduled to start service at 6am.

The incident happened to the western end of the 34.5-kilometre-long Pink Line from Min Buri district of Bangkok to Khae Rai area in Nonthaburi province.

At about 8.30am the management of the Pink Line reported briefly that its service was closed from the Nonthaburi government centre to the Pak Kret station due to power disruption.

The Pink Line opened for tentative service last month. 

The conductor rail pulled power cables and the pole which leaned on Tiwanon Road in Nonthaburi on Sunday morning. (Photo: Wararit Panichkitkosolkul)