Railway station wheelchair crossing rejected

SRT told to revise design to alleviate safety concerns

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been told to stop work on a hydraulic lift that it planned to install for wheelchair users at a train station because the design raises safety concerns.

The lift was being constructed at the Wang Pong station in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Kiri Khan but the design gave rise to complaints, said Atiphu Jittanukrao, deputy director-general of the Department of Rail Transport (DRT).

The crossing, where the lift was supposed to be installed, was on the same level as the rail track, which is now in its systems trial phase, he said.

After the DRT inspected the lift locations, Mr Atiphu said many concerns about user safety arose, both for wheelchair users wanting to cross the railway and pedestrians crossing on foot. Accidents involving trains could easily happen, he added.

The department told the rail agency to put the lifts, both at Wang Pong station and those planned at any other stations, on hold.

The SRT will be required to design a crossing, either as an underpass or an overpass, inside the station to prevent trains posing a risk to pedestrians, said Mr Atiphu.

The department on Tuesday also rejected an SRT proposal to install hydraulic panel lifts in every train station, pending a public hearing.