Although the removal of the damaged train is nearing completion, HŽ Infrastructure cannot confirm whether traffic will be restored today. 25 people were injured in Saturday's collision.
The reopening of the Križevci, Bjelovar railway line remains uncertain, although work on removing the passenger train damaged in the collision is nearing completion. Representatives of HŽ Infrastructure could not specify on Monday at what time the line would be reopened to traffic, nor could they confirm with certainty that this would happen today, Hina has learned.
A passenger train and a freight train collided on Saturday morning on the section between Sveti Ivan Žabno and Gradec, near the village of Škrinjari. The freight train has already been removed from the accident site, while the extraction of the passenger electric-battery train is underway. This operation is significantly more technically demanding due to the train's position after the collision and difficult access to the location.
The passenger train was extensively damaged in the accident and is partially off the tracks, which further complicates its removal. The extraction work has been ongoing since Sunday, and authorities expect it to be completed during today.
Once the train is removed, the condition of the track will need to be inspected. Minor infrastructure damage has also occurred on the section beneath the passenger train, which will need to be repaired before traffic can be restored. HŽ Infrastructure says they expect the train removal and necessary repairs to be completed during the day, but due to the complexity of the entire operation, they cannot guarantee that trains will run again today.
A total of 25 people were injured in the accident that occurred on Saturday morning. Among them are two locomotive drivers and a conductor. No further information is currently available regarding the severity of their injuries.
