The Railway Safety Agency has launched an extraordinary inspection of HŽ Cargo, HŽ Passenger Transport, and HŽ Infrastructure following a collision near Škrinjari and a freight train passing a red signal in Škrljevo.
Following two serious safety incidents on Croatian railways that occurred within just two days, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković has requested an extraordinary inspection of key railway companies. The Railway Safety Agency immediately responded and launched oversight of HŽ Cargo, HŽ Passenger Transport, and infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastructure.
Agency Director Želimir Delač has asked his colleagues to submit inspection plans as soon as possible, which will determine all circumstances of both events and any systemic failures.
The first incident occurred on Saturday on the line between Gradec and Sveti Ivan Žabno, near Škrinjari, where a freight train and a passenger train collided. Twenty-five people were injured in the accident, including two locomotive drivers and a conductor. The cause of the collision has not yet been officially determined.
Just a day later, on Sunday around 1 p.m., another serious safety breach occurred. At Škrljevo station, an HŽ Cargo freight train passed a signal requiring a stop and did not halt to wait for a crossing with an HŽ Passenger Transport train arriving from the direction of Zagreb.
HŽ Infrastructure workers applied safety procedures to protect the trains and passengers, and train traffic on the section between Meja and Škrljevo stations was suspended.
The extraordinary inspection will now attempt to determine whether these events are the result of individual errors or indicate deeper problems in the functioning of the railway system, with particular emphasis on compliance with safety procedures.
