For decades, the railway network in Bulgaria has been systematically neglected, leading to serious repair backlogs and increased safety risks. This became clear after a comment by engineer Boycho Skrobanski, Deputy Chairman of the National Board for the Investigation of Accidents, regarding a recent incident. His words were broadcast on the show "Denyat zapochva" after a freight train with tankers caught fire near the village of Pyasachevo, close to Simeonovgrad.
Although the incident avoided severe consequences, it once again drew attention to the critical state of the railway infrastructure. According to engineer Skrobanski, almost half of the country's 5,000 meters of linear railway network have overdue repairs, a worrying statistic that has been accumulating over the last 20-30 years.
Investigation into the incident begins
The team from the National Board for the Investigation of Accidents began preliminary actions on the day of the incident, the 15th, but the main investigation started today. Engineer Skrobanski explained that a team has been formed that will go to the site in the section between Lyubenovo and Simeonovgrad.
The goal is to measure the parameters of the railway infrastructure as quickly as possible so that traffic can be restored without delay and without stopping the operational process. After that, the commission will focus its attention on the wagons themselves, which derailed and caught fire.
A very unpleasant picture and a need for rehabilitation
The initial picture at the scene of the incident was described by engineer Skrobanski as "very unpleasant", with derailed wagons, damaged infrastructure, and overhead contact lines. In his words, this incident is yet another proof that the Bulgarian railway infrastructure needs serious rehabilitation.
"Unfortunately, this still shows that the railway infrastructure really needs serious rehabilitation. Here I want to statistically mention a few figures – from the last 20-30 years, there has been a significant backlog of repairs on the railway line, which has led to a reduction in design speeds, and as of today, of the 5,000 meters of linear railway network, maybe around 2,500 meters have overdue repairs", stated engineer Skrobanski.
He emphasized that the overdue repairs are not only a safety risk but also a reason for the reduction in design speeds, which directly affects the operational efficiency of the trains. This impacts carriers who operate daily on these lines, mainly with cargo, and calls into question their efficiency and security.
The investigation is working on three main hypotheses
The Deputy Chairman of the National Board for the Investigation of Accidents stated that the team is working on main hypotheses for the causes of the accident. According to him, there are three factors that will be examined:
- Railway Infrastructure: The condition of the tracks and the route.
- Rolling Stock: The condition of the train, including the wagons that derailed and caught fire.
- Interaction between infrastructure and rolling stock: This is a combination of the first two hypotheses, which examines how the technical parameters of the track and the train interact at the specific moment of the incident.
The investigation will aim to establish the exact circumstances that led to the derailment and subsequent fire, hoping to provide valuable data on the state of the railway system in Bulgaria.