Investigation Reveals Train’s Black Box Data in Deadly Bus Collision

Brickinfo News Agency – Black box data recovered from the locomotive involved in the recent train-bus collision revealed that the train driver engaged the emergency braking system just 100 meters before impact. However, the immense weight of the cargo train, which was hauling thousands of tons of freight, rendered it impossible to halt the vehicle in time. Authorities confirmed that a train of this scale requires a stopping distance of nearly two kilometers to come to a complete standstill.

Pichet Kunathammaraks, the Director-General of the Department of Rail Transport, disclosed the findings during an interview on Channel 9. He stated that the locomotive’s black box recorded the train traveling at a speed of 35 kilometers per hour at the moment of impact. Despite the driver activating the emergency brake as soon as the hazard was spotted, the sheer momentum of the freight train meant the collision could not be avoided within that short distance.

“The black box records show the train was traveling at 35 kilometers per hour when it collided with the bus,” Pichet explained during the interview. “The driver did apply the Emergency Brake 100 meters before the point of impact. However, halting a train—especially a container transport train weighing thousands of tons—requires a braking distance of nearly two kilometers. Therefore, it was impossible to stop the train in time.”

Furthermore, Pichet clarified the status of the railway infrastructure at the scene, addressing speculation regarding system failures. He confirmed that the railway signaling system was operating normally at the time of the incident. However, he noted that the physical crossing barrier failed to lower to block incoming road traffic. While the train driver attempted to stop upon noticing the obstacle, the realization occurred too late given the physics of the heavy machinery.