Diesel Engine Derails On Express Train, Delays 4+ Hours
A diesel engine detached from Express Train No. 7 between Nong Wua Tao and Lampang stations on July 11, forcing a four-hour delay as mechanics extracted the 40-year-old engine from the tracks and transferred 200+ passengers by bus.
Express Train No. 7, a diesel-powered air-conditioned train traveling the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route, came to a sudden halt between Nong Wua Tao and Lampang stations at 4 p.m. on July 11 after its engine malfunctioned. The train had departed from Bangkok's central station at 9:05 a.m. and was scheduled to reach Lampang at 5:30 p.m. and Chiang Mai at 7:30 p.m.
According to Piradet Wongkham, station manager at Lampang Railway Station, the main engine of the second carriage detached near the right wheel assembly and fell onto the railway bed. The driver noticed smoke, stopped the train, and discovered the engine cover was damaged. Passengers were transferred by tour bus to Lampang station to continue their journey, while the engine—weighing significantly and wedged against stone beneath the tracks—had to be removed for repair at Bangkok's service center.
Railway mechanics from Lampang's equipment department worked for over four hours using chains to extract the heavy engine from under the train. The damaged engine belonged to the second carriage, the middle unit, which had been in service for more than 40 years. The removal and repositioning of the train to Lampang station was completed by 7:30 p.m.
The incident caused cascading delays: Express Train No. 52 arrived at Lampang at 5:47 p.m. and Express Train No. 14 at 7:16 p.m., both delayed from their Bangkok-bound schedules. However, Express Train No. 10 from Chiang Mai to Lampang departed normally at 8:21 p.m.
