The Railway Safety Agency will conduct an inspection of HŽ Cargo, HŽ Passenger Transport, and HŽ Infrastructure, while the circumstances surrounding Saturday's collision and Sunday's red-light violation have yet to be determined.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković has called for an extraordinary inspection of all key parts of the railway system after two serious safety incidents occurred in just two days. The Railway Safety Agency, led by Director Želimir Delač, immediately responded and launched an inspection of operators HŽ Cargo and HŽ Passenger Transport, as well as infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastructure.
The first incident occurred on Saturday, August 8, 2026, when a freight train and a passenger train collided on the line between Gradec and Sveti Ivan Žabno, near Škrinjari. Twenty-five people were injured in the accident, including two locomotive drivers and a conductor, and the cause of the collision has not yet been officially determined. State Secretary in the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Žarko Tušek noted that there are certain indications as to the cause, but emphasized: "There are certain indications, but we need to wait until the investigations are completed." He specifically pointed to the failure of the safety system. "All trains operating on Croatian railways must have an automatic train stop system. In combination with balises, the system stops the train if it passes a red signal. That did not happen yesterday," Tušek said.
Just a day later, on Sunday, August 9, another serious safety breach occurred. Around 1 p.m. at Škrljevo station, an HŽ Cargo freight train passed a red signal and failed to stop to give way to a passenger train arriving from the direction of Zagreb. Tušek described the event as a traffic excess: "A train passed a red signal, a traffic excess that occasionally happens in all modes of transport, including railways." Thanks to the quick reaction of HŽ Infrastructure staff, who cut the power to the overhead contact line, both trains stopped at a safe distance, avoiding another collision. Tušek confirmed that in this case, the safety mechanisms performed their task – after the automatic train stop system halted the freight train, the power supply to the contact line was cut, stopping other trains on that section. Rail traffic between Meja and Škrljevo stations was suspended until 5:35 p.m.
The extraordinary inspection will cover all three key entities in Croatian rail transport. HŽ Cargo and HŽ Passenger Transport, as operators, and HŽ Infrastructure, which manages tracks and signaling systems, will have to provide the agency with insight into all circumstances that led to these incidents. Director Delač has asked his colleagues to submit inspection plans as soon as possible. In addition to the agency's inspection, Tušek noted that investigations are being conducted at multiple levels – the State Attorney's Office and police are investigating Saturday's collision, along with the Railway Accident Investigation Agency and internal commissions of the railway companies, while Sunday's incident is being investigated by the same agency and internal commissions of HŽ Cargo, HŽ Infrastructure, and HŽ Passenger Transport.
Both events in a very short period have seriously shaken confidence in the safety of rail transport in Croatia. The inspection should provide answers to questions about potential system failures, whether due to human error, technical defects, or organizational weaknesses. Despite the incidents, Tušek stated: "Our system is safe and functional."
