PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand’s rail network handled more than 1.22 million passenger trips on Friday, April 17, the second working day after the Songkran holiday, as many travelers continued returning gradually while others delayed their journeys until the weekend.
According to the Department of Rail Transport, total rail usage reached 1,227,707 passenger trips on Friday, lower than earlier estimates by 16.14 percent as many people extended their leave through the weekend and schools remained closed.
Intercity rail services operated by the State Railway of Thailand recorded 83,338 passenger trips, with inbound passengers outnumbering outbound travelers at 46,669 compared with 36,669. Officials believe many people are waiting until Saturday and Sunday to return home after Songkran.
The busiest intercity route was the southern line with 29,368 passenger trips, followed by the northeastern line with 22,350, the northern line with 16,364, and the eastern line with 9,542.
Urban rail networks, including BTS, MRT, Airport Rail Link and other metro lines, carried 1,144,369 passenger trips in total. The busiest route remained the Green Line with 553,665 passenger trips, followed by the Blue Line with 348,221.
Officials said train services remained sufficient to handle demand, with 212 intercity train trips operating nationwide to accommodate travelers returning over the weekend.
However, rail services also faced several disruptions during the day.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, a freight train collided with a cow near Nong Nam Khun and Ban Mai Samrong stations, damaging the locomotive and delaying three passenger trains.
Later in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a grass fire near the tracks between Lak Chang and Khlong Chan Di stations forced a special express train from Trang to Bangkok to stop temporarily, adding a 27-minute delay.
Authorities also reported severe weather in Nakhon Ratchasima on Friday evening, where strong winds from a summer storm caused the roof covering the station platform to collapse across tracks 1, 2 and 3. No injuries were reported and train services continued using tracks 4 and 5 while crews cleared debris and reopened track 1 later that night.
Officials urged farmers to keep livestock away from railway lines and warned nearby communities to avoid burning grass near tracks during the dry season to reduce fire risks and service disruptions.
