Safety is Paramount for the New MRT Lines

On January 17, 2005, on the MRT’s inaugural Blue Line, a train slammed into the back of another train stopped at a station during the morning rush hour commute. The accident injured more than 200 people. 

Maybe the representatives of the Democatic Party call ing for the MRT to speed up the opening of the Yellow Line service have forgotten about this accident, but many other commuters remember. 

The new Yellow Line is an elevated monorail that mostly travels high above Ladprao Road from Bangkapi in Bangkok to Samut Prakan. The line will alleviate traffic congestion along Ladprao Road and speed up the commutes of many people living in the north Bangkok area when testing and certification are completed, and the line opens to the public. 

The MRT lists it as being 99% complete. They’ve said that the line is still undergoing testing. They’ve also said they’re awaiting global safety standardization certification.  

Take as Long as Needed

Anyone living or traveling along Ladprao Road for the last few weeks has undoubtedly seen the futuristic, streamlined trains as they glide from station to station along overhead tracks. The monorail tracks are suspended around 15-20 meters above the roadway, much too high to fall in an accident.

The monorail design of the system has existed for decades and has been proven safe. However, the placement of the tracks high overhead won’t encourage commuter confidence if the system is rushed into service. If, by some remote possibility, an accident was to occur along the elevated tracks, the height of the tracks could pose an additional danger to the train’s occupants and those below. 

As a commuter looking forward to enjoying the speed and convenience of the new line, I’d urge the MRT to ignore the complaints of the Democratic Party and test the system for as long as needed to ensure the public’s safety.