JEDDAH, 5 April 2003 — Communications Minister Dr. Nasser Al-Salloum has refuted suggestions that Thursday’s train accident in the Eastern Province, in which two people were killed and one was injured, was caused by a lack of proper maintenance.
Speaking to Okaz newspaper, the minister said that the truck driver was responsible for the accident, which occurred in Dhahran at 8.58 a.m. when a passenger train, carrying 104 people, was on its way to Riyadh.
The train rammed into the truck, which was carrying metal pipes, at a crossing in Dhahran, killing engine driver Saleh Hamad Shihab and his assistant Mohammed Saeed Rajab.
“What happened was that a truck belonging to a company which works for Saudi Aramco crossed the railway line without taking caution and ignoring warnings,” Salloum told the Arabic daily.
“The driver should not have crossed the railway line in that way and I hold him fully responsible for the accident,” he added.
“The train was moving along the track and hit the truck obstructing its path,” the minister said.
“A train is not like car. We cannot stop it immediately,” he added.
Salloum said he had instructed Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) officials to discuss the matter with Aramco.
“We have also set up a panel comprising representatives of SRO, Aramco, the police and the Civil Defense to probe the incident,” he said.
Salloum also indicated that SRO’s board of directors, which is scheduled to meet in Dammam today under his chairmanship, will discuss the incident.
An SRO statement said the board meeting will focus on the maintenance and operation of passenger and goods trains and the sale of tickets through travel agents.
Asked about the absence of protective fences near the crossing where the accident occurred, Salloum said: “We told Aramco to build a fence there long time ago, but it was not done.
“I have also asked them to investigate the cause of the accident,” he added.
When asked about the possibility of negligence in maintenance, the minister said: “There is no such negligence. You should not level accusations against people like this without any basis.”
Referring to the increasing number of train accidents in the Kingdom, the minister said: “We are now talking about this accident. We know the reasons for the previous ones and we have taken all necessary measures to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. But train accidents take place all over the world, and we are no exception.”
SRO carried 800,000 passengers and 850,000 tons of goods during 2001. The railway line between Dammam and Riyadh has a length of 1,390 kilometers. SRO revenues reached SR150 million during the same year, with an increase of SR23 million over the previous year.
