The collision between a passenger and freight train near Škrinjari has once again raised questions about safety on Croatian railways. While awaiting the outcome of the investigation, Minister Butković revealed dramatic details about the driver's reaction.
Today's serious collision between a passenger and freight train on the stretch between Sveti Ivan Žabno and Gradec, near Škrinjari in the Križevci area, resulted in a number of injuries. According to data reported by Index.hr, a total of 20 people were injured, six of them seriously. Dnevno.hr, on the other hand, reports a slightly different figure, citing six seriously and 13 lightly injured, which would total 19 injured. In any case, fortunately, there were no fatalities.
The accident occurred around 10 a.m. when a freight train operated by HŽ Cargo collided with a passenger train operated by HŽ Passenger Transport. At the time of the accident, there were 28 passengers on the passenger train, as reported by Dnevno.hr, while Index.hr states there were "about twenty" passengers. The line was closed to all traffic following the collision, and the cause of this serious accident has yet to be determined by an investigation being conducted jointly by the police, the State Attorney's Office, and the Agency for Accident Investigation.
Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković visited the injured in hospitals and shared striking details about the heroic act of the passenger train driver. He is a man with 42 years of service, just before retirement. "When he saw the train coming towards him, he managed to brake and move to the rear of the train as far as he could. It is very likely that this move avoided the worst possible outcome and saved his own life, but also mitigated the consequences of the accident," Butković told Dnevno.hr, describing the meeting as very emotional.
The minister dismissed any speculation about the causes before the investigation is completed. "We cannot speculate about the cause. It is important that the investigation be conducted quickly, thoroughly, and efficiently to determine exactly what happened," he said. He also emphasized that the condition of the infrastructure and the train cannot be called into question. "This is a newly built line and a new electric battery train. The condition of the infrastructure and the train itself cannot be the cause. What happened will be determined by the investigation, and only then will we be able to draw conclusions," said Butković. He also confirmed that the removal of the trains and the restoration of the line will begin only after the on-site investigation and all investigative actions are completed.
Today's event is just one in a series of serious railway accidents that have marked Croatia. The absolute worst occurred on August 30, 1974, at the entrance to Zagreb's main railway station. The international train "Direkt Orijent" on the Athens-Zagreb-Dortmund route entered a curve at a speed exceeding 100 kilometers per hour, although the limit was 50. All nine carriages derailed and overturned. 167 people died, and dozens were injured. Unidentified victims were buried in a common grave at Mirogoj. The investigation found that the driver and his assistant had worked a total of 45 hours before the accident and were extremely exhausted. The driver was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and the assistant to eight years.
The worst accident in independent Croatia occurred on July 24, 2009, in Rudine near Kaštela, when the tilting train ICN 521 on its way from Zagreb to Split derailed. Six people died, and 55 were injured. It was later determined that the track had been sprayed with a firefighting agent that made the rails slippery, preventing the train from slowing down sufficiently.
The second worst tragedy occurred on September 9, 2022, near Rajić, not far from Novska. A passenger train on the Vinkovci-Novska route hit a stationary freight train. Three people died, the driver, a conductor, and a 17-year-old passenger. The investigation showed that the driver of the passenger train had passed two red signals before the collision.
In the years that followed, incidents continued. Just two months after Rajić, on November 14, 2022, a freight train operated by HŽ Cargo hit wagons belonging to ENNA transport in Škrljevo near Rijeka, injuring the driver slightly. On December 11, 2023, a freight train operated by Rail Cargo Carrier Croatia failed to stop at Meja station and hit a track maintenance vehicle of HŽ Infrastructure on the open line. There were no injuries, but significant material damage occurred, and the Rijeka-Zagreb line was disrupted for days.
A potentially worse tragedy was avoided on March 19, 2025, near Lekenik. A freight train operated by HŽ Cargo with 30 wagons, each carrying 40 tons of flammable liquid, failed to stop at a red signal. A passenger train with about 200 passengers was approaching from the opposite direction. Thanks to the quick reaction of the traffic controllers, who cut the power to the overhead line and stopped the passenger train, a catastrophe was averted at the last moment. Today's collision near Škrinjari occurred just over a year after that dramatic event.
