Croatia probes railway safety after two incidents, including train running red light

Two recent railway incidents in Croatia have prompted urgent discussions about safety on the nation's tracks. The latest event involved a freight train operated by HŽ Cargo passing a red signal on the Rijeka-Zagreb line Sunday. Prompt action by the signalman, who cut off power to the line, prevented a more serious outcome, and all involved were reported safe.

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Safety of transport participants is the greatest priority, there is no room for human errors.

This incident follows a collision between two trains near Križevci just two days prior, which injured 25 people. State Secretary at the Ministry of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure, Žarko Tušek, acknowledged the seriousness of these events. Regarding the red signal incident, Tušek stated that while circumstances are still being determined, the safety system "reacted adequately." He explained that an "auto-stop system" halted the train, and HŽ Infrastruktura subsequently cut power to prevent further issues.

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The driver of the HŽ Cargo train is currently removed from duty pending the investigation to establish all circumstances that led to this lapse.

HŽ Cargo issued a strong statement emphasizing that safety is their absolute priority and that "human errors have no place." The company confirmed that the driver involved in the red signal incident has been removed from duty pending a thorough investigation. This investigation, involving representatives from HŽ Infrastruktura, HŽ Cargo, and HŽ Putnički prijevoz, will determine the exact cause. HŽ Cargo declared that such serious safety breaches will not be tolerated and that disciplinary measures, including potential termination, will be applied if human error is confirmed.

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This is the most serious safety lapse that exists on the railway, and HŽ Cargo does not intend to mitigate such lapses.

Despite regular checks and continuous training for drivers, the recent incidents highlight potential shortcomings in oversight and control. HŽ Cargo acknowledged that "checks are regular and prescribed, but apparently not sufficient." In response, the management has initiated an extraordinary procedure to enhance field checks and re-evaluate the supervision and control model. The company reiterated its commitment to the safety of all transport participants in all future operations.

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The system reacted adequately. The auto-stop system stopped the train, and after that HŽ Infrastruktura cut off the power to stop other trains on that section.