Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has pledged to push for long-term safety measures after Saturday’s fatal collision between a freight train and a public bus at the Makkasan level crossing in Bangkok.
The measures could include replacing level crossings with tunnels, elevated routes or redesigned rail alignments to prevent similar accidents.
Speaking after visiting survivors at Camillian Hospital on Sunday, Mr Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, said authorities could no longer leave dangerous railway crossings unresolved.
The crash occurred near the Asok-Phetchaburi intersection at the Makkasan railway crossing, where a freight train struck a Route 206 public bus before the vehicle burst into flames.
Eight people were killed and 32 others were injured in the collision.
The prime minister was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Health, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and the State Railway of Thailand.
He visited patients in intensive care and general wards, while pledging full assistance for the injured and the families of those killed.
Mr Anutin expressed condolences to the victims’ families and described the incident as deeply tragic.
“No one is psychologically well after such a sudden and traumatic incident,” Mr Anutin said. “The driver and bus conductor are in particularly poor emotional condition. Right now, the priority is ensuring they recover while the legal process takes its course.”
Police have charged the train driver with reckless conduct causing death and serious injury.
Investigators are also examining the actions of railway crossing staff and other officials involved in the incident.
Mr Anutin said video footage appeared to show that the crossing barriers could not be lowered because traffic congestion had left vehicles stranded on the tracks.
He said trains had stopped in previous cases when crossings were blocked, raising questions over why the train involved in Saturday’s crash did not slow down or stop in time.
“We must reduce the number of level crossings,” he said. “At some point, there may need to be route changes or tunnel construction. We also cannot rely solely on the judgement of station staff or signal operators because human error is always possible.”
The State Railway of Thailand confirmed that the Makkasan crossing uses a manual barrier system operated by on-site staff.
Under railway procedures, warning lights and alarms are activated before barriers are lowered.
However, officials said the barriers could not be lowered because vehicles remained on the crossing due to heavy congestion.
If train drivers do not receive confirmation that the barriers are fully lowered, they must rely on visual signals from crossing staff, according to railway rules.
Authorities are now reviewing data from the train’s “black box” to determine whether proper procedures were followed.
BMTA director Kittikarn Jomduang Charuworapolkul said compensation for victims’ families would be coordinated with insurers under the Third-Party Liability Protection Act.
He said initial compensation for the families of those killed is expected to reach 1.5 million baht per victim.
Injured passengers are expected to receive between 80,000 and 500,000 baht, depending on the severity of their injuries.
Local motorcycle taxi riders said accidents and collisions with crossing barriers regularly occur at the junction because of chronic congestion and impatient driving.
