3-1-2024 (BANGKOK) Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote announced on Wednesday that the use of Yellow Line monorail trains has been suspended due to defective wheels. The Yellow Line operator, Eastern Bangkok Monorail Co, has been instructed to conduct comprehensive safety inspections on all trains before resuming service.
The suspension follows an incident on Tuesday evening when a guide wheel fell off one of the trains, bouncing onto the road below and subsequently hitting a taxi. The operator attributed the incident to defective ball bearings.
Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote stated on Wednesday morning that a specific batch of guide wheels had production defects, leading to their immediate suspension. The cause of the wheel detachment, whether due to heat or faulty ball bearings, remains uncertain and requires a thorough examination.
Surapong emphasized that an extensive investigation is necessary to determine if the issue extends to other wheels. The expected lifespan of Yellow Line train wheels is approximately 300,000 hours, with only about 60,000 hours of usage in this case.
Transport officials, in collaboration with Eastern Bangkok Monorail, were directed to meticulously assess the safety of each Yellow Line train before resuming service on Wednesday. As a result, service intervals were temporarily extended to once every 30 minutes, deviating from the usual 5-10 minute frequency.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit called for a meeting with Eastern Bangkok Monorail representatives on Wednesday afternoon to discuss additional safety measures. The Yellow Line monorail operates between eastern Bangkok and Samut Prakan, while the Pink Line monorail runs between northern Bangkok and Nonthaburi. Both monorails were manufactured in China by CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems, a joint venture between Canada-based Bombardier and CRRC Nanjing Puzhen.
