Collision between DFT № 30595 and ST № 30802 along Kremikovtsi – Svetovrachane on 15.01.2025
On 15.01.2025, a shunting operation was carried out at the Industrial Branch "SIEN 99" EOOD at Kremikovtsi station with locomotive No. 98520055093-7 and a shunting crew of "BDZ-Cargo" EOOD. A shift plan was prepared by the shunting crew, which went to the traffic manager on duty at the station, signed the daily briefing book at Kremikovtsi station, presented the shift plan to the traffic manager on duty and discussed the upcoming shunting work on composing ST No. 30802. During the conversation, the traffic manager on duty learned from the shunting crew that an auxiliary diesel locomotive for ST No. 30802 would also arrive. At 13:11 p.m., an insulated locomotive No. 98520055155-6 of BDZ-Cargo EOOD arrived at the fourth ADT. The same was re-garaged at the Industrial Branch "SIEN 99" EOOD and given the lead of ST No. 30802, which was ready composed on a third track with an attached locomotive No. 98520055093-7.
After the arrival of an insulated locomotive No. 98520055155-6 at Kremikovtsi station, the traffic manager on duty at 13:28 p.m. called the train dispatcher (the conversation was conducted on personal mobile phones) with a request to take the station of the RLHDI so that they would not do "unnecessary shunting". According to the written testimony of the traffic manager on duty, the term "unnecessary shunting" was a tacit agreement to directly send ST No. 30802 from the industrial branch of "SIEN 99" EOOD to Svetovrachene station.
At Voluyak station was composed DFT No. 30595 of the railway enterprise "Pimk Rail" EAD. At 15:12 p.m. the same train departed with 32 wagons, 96 axles, 497 meters, 686 tons, locomotive No. 92520007063-7 in working condition, using the route to Tulovo station and led by locomotive No. 91521080013-1. The train passed through Sectional point 4 without stopping and at 15:25 p.m. arrived at Iliyantsi station at 15:30 p.m., where it stayed for 5 minutes to meet with IC No. 20245. At 15:35 p.m. DFT No. 30595 departed for Svetovrachene station. The train stayed for 16 seconds in front of the entrance semaphore at Svetovrachene station on the Iliyantsi side due to an ordered route for the transit of FT No. 4610 from Kremikovtsi through Svetovrachene station to Kurilo station.
According to the described events in the time range from 15:49 p.m. to 15:55 p.m., according to written testimony of the locomotive crew of DFT No. 30595 in locomotive No. 91521080013-1, leaving the area of the Svetovrachene station, they continued their movement in the interstation area. "After passing the Lokorsko stop and exiting the right curve" the driver, locomotive 2nd person in locomotive No. 91521080013-1, saw that a train was moving towards them no more than 300-400 meters away, managed to shout to his colleague "A train is coming!" and ran to the second cabin of the locomotive. The reaction of the locomotive driver 1st person was to undertake immediately a "quick stop", and also ran to the other cabin of the locomotive.
At 15:57 p.m. at km 11+949 in the Svetovrachene - Kremikovtsi interstation, a collision occurred between DFT No. 30595 of Pimk Rail EAD and ST No. 30802 of BDZ-Cargo EOOD.
Immediately after the accident, in the first minutes after 16:00 p.m., emergency medical teams from the EMC and the Ministry of Interior arrived.
The injured were transported by ambulance vehicles for examination and treatment.
The bodies of the locomotive driver and the assistant locomotive driver were found in locomotive No. 98520055093-7.
Damage was caused to the railway track, the signalling equipment, the overhead contact line, and the rolling stock, locomotives and wagons.