The rail traffic in the North was suspended this morning as the operation to salvage a petroleum-transporting train derailing Thursday night in Lampang was still underway after 12 hours of attempting to remove the derailed train.

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded in Lampang from last night until this morning when a special shuttle bus service began to transport them to Denchai station in neighbouring Phrae from where they would be able to travel on by train to Bangkok, Thai media reported.

Both northern-bound and Bangkok-bound trains operated between the North and Bangkok have been suspended since the derailment took place last night between Pha Khan station and Pang Puay Khrae station, an area between Lampang’s Mae Mo district and Phrae’s Long district.

At least three trains that had already left Chiang Mai for Bangkok had to stop in Lampang as rescue operation was in progress while thousands of train passengers planning to travel between Chiang Mai and Bangkok since last night were also affected.

The State Railways of Thailand sent a maintenance team from Bangkok to remove the derailed train. The team was trying to use a locomotive to tow the derailed train back on the tracks.

No one was injured in the incident.