Train conductor dead, other three people injured in another train accident in Romania

The conductor of a passenger train that was involved on Saturday in an accident in the Galati railway station – a 53-year old woman – died at the hospital after suffering multiple cardiorespiratory arrests, national railway operator CFR Calatori informed on Saturday evening.

“The ambulance crew that responded to the scene initially managed to stabilize her on the railway platform and on the way to the hospital, but she then succumbed to a new cardiorespiratory arrest that occurred at the hospital. CFR Calatori offers condolences and will provide full support to the bereaved family,” the company said in a statement.

On March 25, at 19:19, during maneuvers to attach the engine to the Regio 7576 train that was supposed to depart for Marasesti, the engine rammed into the first car, causing it to recoil about 80 metres. Four people were injured following the impact: the mechanic, the conductor, the trainmaster and a passenger. The engine and the train car were also damaged, CFR Calatori announced.

Railway police say the accident occurred due to the failure of the engine’s braking system.

This is the second serious rail accident in less than two weeks, after that occurred on March 13 near Rosiorii de Vede.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Sorin Grindeanu announced that given that this is the second railway accident in a very short time, he ordered CFR Calatori “to urgently proceed to the technical check of the rolling stock in use”.

The management of the railway passenger transport company decided that all locomotives in the country, of the type involved in the accident, should be thoroughly checked. Gaskets that are found to have technical problems will be withdrawn from circulation. At the same time, from next month, all train drivers are to be re-evaluated.

The locomotive involved in the railway accident in Galati was more than 30 years old, but it was up-to-date with all revisions. The last technical overhaul was done two weeks ago.

The preliminary investigation at the scene of the accident showed that it was not a case of human error and that everything happened because of a malfunction in the locomotive’s acceleration system. For this reason, representatives of the national railway passenger transport company decided that all locomotives of this type in the country will be checked.

More precisely, The speedometer needle of the locomotive that violently hit the first car of the passenger train it was about to connect to in Galati Station was stuck at 75 kilometers per hour, and the driver says that the locomotive “suddenly accelerated” and he could no longer act braking system, according to the County Police.