Monday Morning Hell: Malfunctioning signaling system paralyzes Bangkok’s skytrain network

Officials had to temporarily bar people from entering the platforms of Bang Na station because of overcrowding. Photo: Coconuts Media
Officials had to temporarily bar people from entering the platforms of Bang Na station because of overcrowding. Photo: Coconuts Media

The entire BTS skytrain network suffered from a signaling system malfunction this morning, causing massive train delays and leaving stations overcrowded with passengers during rush hour.

Although the problem was identified at about 6:15am, it wasn’t until 10am that BTS could fix the system and announce that trains had resumed their normal schedule.

People unsurprisingly took to Twitter to complain about the breakdown, at least the fifth this month. Netizens reported some stations, including Bang Na, Phaya Thai, and Bang Chak, had to temporarily bar people from entering the platforms because of overcrowding. Meanwhile, at Mo Chit and On Nut, the two main stations in the Bangkok’s suburbs, people had to form long queues on the roadside.

https://twitter.com/tingchara/status/1011055623964749824

Those who switched to the MRT, only discovered that the platforms at some MRT stations, such as the one Chatuchak, were overcrowded with people who had the same idea.

Numerous social media users pleaded with officials to look into the problem, noting that the breakdowns inevitably occur at the worst time of day: morning and evening commutes.



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