The freight train with benzene that derailed and caught on fire in eastern Czechia was possibly driving too fast. RailFreight.com earlier reported that that scenario seemed unlikely, but Czech media are saying that it might well be the underlying cause of the accident. That also means that the safety system ETCS could have helped prevent the accident.
On Friday 28 February, a train transporting the toxic and flammable benzene derailed and caught on fire in Czechia. It prompted a major firefighting operation, not least because of a fear of an environmental hazard. The accident has led to the closure of the main line connecting Czechia to Slovakia. Total damages are estimated at 225 million Czech crowns (9 million euros).
Because the line was renovated a couple of years ago, it is possible to drive there at relatively high speeds. For that reason, a market source told RailFreight.com that high speed was unlikely to be the cause of the derailment. However, Czech media are reporting that it might very well be.
Signal oversight
Investigators reportedly believe that the train overlooked a signal warning to slow down to 40 kilometres per hour. That might have happened because the switch was moved. The locomotive’s GPS data indicate that the train was going at nearly 100 kilometres per hour, rather than 40. Subsequently, the train’s speed and sharp change in direction could have caused the derailment.
The two drivers on the locomotive might have been distracted by paperwork, write Czech media. That could have contributed to the oversight of the signal warning. “This is an opportunity to promote faster equipping of tracks with ETCS trackside control”, says executive director of the Žesnad rail freight association, Oldřich Sládek. “If it had been on this section of track, the accident probably would not have happened,” he concludes.
Switch from old to new
Czechia is already investing in the implementation of ETCS. In January, it made a major effort to implement the system on various rail corridors, mostly in the east of the country.
The switch from old to new security systems does not always go smoothly. In 2024, a passenger train collided with a freight train near Pardubice. Czech media write that a new security system was installed at the location of the accident, but not properly connected, leading to the crash.
