THE prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, has dismissed the board of national passenger operator ZSSK following a collision between two of its services near Pezinok on November 9.
The accident resulted in 79 people being taken to hospital and came less than a month after the head-collision near Rožňavá on October 13 which killed three people.
“Regardless of whether or not these people have direct responsibility for this disaster, this is the second disaster in a short time,” Fico said, noting that it took place “on a modern section of line where the level of safety is at the maximum.”
To replace the ZSSK board chaired by Peter Hexala, the government has appointed an interim board for a period of six months, led by new ZSSK chairman and CEO, Ivana Piňosová. Miroslav Klich and Rastislav Glasa have also been appointed to the interim board.
The accident took place at 19.28 on a Sunday evening on the key Bratislava - Žilina main line, when many students and workers were returning to Bratislava. Around 800 passengers were on the two trains involved.
The Ex 620 express service from Košice to Bratislava via Žilina, hauled by a class 350 locomotive, ran into the back of regional express service REX 1814 from Nitra to Bratislava, operated with a class 861 DMU. The express train was due to pass the regional service in Pezinok station, but the regional service passed a signal at danger and departed from the station before joining the main line.
The express train was travelling at 100km/h when the collision occurred. The locomotive was fitted with ETCS, which triggered an emergency brake application when the train passed a signal that had turned red as it approached at 140km/h. The DMU was not equipped with ETCS, but the national Class B train protection system, Mirel.
Both drivers were tested for alcohol and drugs and passed. Slovakia’s rail accident investigation board is now investigating the incident, while a criminal investigation is also being conducted by the Bratislava police.
