The series of railway accidents, which culminated in yesterday’s train crash near Český Brod, is a reflection of summer-neglected problems, such as staff shortages, congested tracks and low investment in modernization. Emanuel Šíp, former CEO of Czech Railways, now chairman of the transport section of the Czech Chamber of Commerce, thinks so. “The problems that the railways have cannot be solved by simply shading their heads,” he told the News List.
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How do you perceive the last accident near Český Brod, in which one person died and more than three dozen others were injured?
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It is still difficult to speculate on the exact causes of the last accident, but in any case there is still a chronic problem with a lack of drivers and technicians. In addition, we have obsolete communication and security equipment on our railway lines.
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However, Minister Karel Havlíček pointed out that the last accident had occurred on the safest line, and apparently the human factor had failed there – the driver of a passenger train running “on red”.
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It’s a question of what exactly happened there. It did not happen at the peak, when it is really very overcrowded and when the risk is even higher. It is strange, of course, that the two trains found each other on the same track, there is a three-track line. In any case, it needs to be thoroughly investigated.
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However, I also notice that these extraordinary events have been taking place in some kind of wave for a long time, so it is necessary to take into account – as one of the possible causes – also a certain nervousness of the entire railway environment. I now see it as a big task for railway managers to reassure their staff in the first place.
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Is this a task for Czech Railways managers?
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Not only Czech Railways, there are also other private carriers and also the Railway Administration. In all those areas, we need to calm the environment. And the whole political sphere should start to focus on solving long-term problems. It is also a total neglect of the infrastructure.
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Should any of the managers be held accountable?
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The person who caused the situation should be held accountable. But the problems that the railways have cannot be solved by simply shielding their heads. They persist for many years, and I think the political sphere is also involved. The railways are neglected, trains are leaving in increasing numbers for economic reasons, and the lines do not have the necessary capacity for this. And this also applies to the current case. The whole track in the direction of Kolín is already critically overloaded, especially at peak times. In general, we need to put an end to these huge investments in consumption and start addressing issues about the country’s future. And it’s far from just the railways.
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Now you mean more investment in railway infrastructure, in new tracks?
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I also mean the vehicle fleet. It is very outdated in our country. It is not possible to solve this only through further indebtedness of Czech Railways. The political scene needs to pay far more attention to this and that funding is found so that the railway can fulfill the tasks it has and which it is increasing.
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See what it looked like at the scene of the accident in the gallery:
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Many people on social media are reminded that 6 billion in fare discounts are given annually, and that this money could be invested in new routes and better security.
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This is not just a question of six billion, although I also have my comments on those fare discounts. This is a matter of hundreds of billions, given the new high-speed lines. Within twenty years, a new network should be built here, and the aim is for today’s generation to live to see it at all.
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The European ETCS signaling system is often mentioned. How much could a European safeguard help prevent such accidents?
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It would certainly help, because it eliminates a substantial part of what we call human failure. ETCS will not run two trains on the same track. When the driver passes the signals, the system stops the train. It is certainly not a panacea, but it is a very important contribution to higher security.
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Due to a series of railway tragedies, Minister Havlíček wants to put together an expert team to deal with the matter. Can it really benefit something?
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In any case, the strategic management of the entire railway sector needs to be restored, which has not worked here for many years. And the way forward is to build ad hoc teams in which specialists in the field will meet and exchange views. A debate on the future of railways is now absolutely essential.
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