The freight train struck the bus at a congested railway crossing in the Thai capital on Saturday afternoon, igniting the vehicle and leaving 30 people injured, according to emergency authorities. Police later revised down an earlier injury toll of 35.

Local police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit said the train driver, who was also injured in the collision, and a railway-crossing guard had both been charged with negligence causing injury and death. The two denied the allegations, he said.

Urumporn said a preliminary urine test detected illicit substances in the driver’s system, although authorities did not specify the drugs involved. Additional testing would also be conducted on another driver and a technician aboard the train, he added.

The collision has intensified scrutiny over railway safety and traffic management at level crossings in Thailand, where congestion and infrastructure bottlenecks remain persistent concerns in urban areas.

Video footage circulated on social media appeared to show the train approaching the crossing at moderate speed before crashing into the bus, which was stranded on the tracks amid heavy traffic.

Bangkok police commissioner Siam Boonsom said investigators were examining surveillance footage and operational procedures at the crossing to determine whether railway staff acted negligently.

“We see the official holding the red flag which means the track was not safe but we also see that the train did not stop or slow down, causing the crash,” Siam told reporters on Sunday.

He said authorities had reviewed footage from previous days showing vehicles halted on the tracks while crossing officials used red flags to warn approaching trains to stop until traffic cleared.

Investigators are also examining the train’s speed and braking distance at the time of impact, Siam said.
Emergency services said 17 injured passengers remained hospitalized as of Sunday evening.

Unpaid federal employees have called out from duty, leaving reduced screening capacity at major airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where travelers faced hours-long waits, according to accounts from passengers attempting to reach destinations such as Washington.

The disruption has driven some travelers to rail alternatives, including overnight services operated by Amtrak. The Crescent line, connecting the southeastern United States to Washington, has seen increased reliance from passengers seeking certainty amid airport congestion.

Rail stations reported fewer delays tied to security processing, with passengers boarding closer to departure times and avoiding bottlenecks associated with the Transportation Security Administration, which has been affected by staffing shortages during the shutdown.

The budget standoff, rooted partly in disputes over immigration enforcement funding, has also drawn in agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which remains central to the administration’s policy agenda.

The partial shutdown has left gaps in federal operations, including airport screening, highlighting vulnerabilities in essential travel infrastructure when government funding lapses.

The shift toward rail underscores long-standing structural dynamics in U.S. transportation, where policy, subsidies and political priorities have historically shaped the balance between rail, road and air travel.

While air travel remains the dominant mode for long-distance domestic journeys, the current disruption has revived reliance on legacy rail networks, particularly along the East Coast corridor linking major urban centers.

The Senate reached a bipartisan proposal to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, excluding immigration enforcement, but House Republican leaders rejected the measure, prolonging the impasse and its effects on national mobility.