Studénka train disaster
Encyclopedia
Studénka train accident was a rail accident that happened on August 8, 2008 at approximately 09.30 local time (8.30 GMT).
The train EuroCity
108 Comenius was an express train en route from Kraków
, Poland
to Prague
, Czech Republic
that struck a part of a motorway bridge that had fallen onto the railroad track near Studénka
railway station in the Czech Republic. The train derailed
and eight people were killed while 64 others injured.
near the Studénka
railroad station, was undergoing a repairs that were to last until September 2008. On the 8 August the workers were putting a beam
to span
between the two supports on the sides of the railroad track. Parts of the beam fell onto the track when the train was 452 meters away, approaching the bridge at 133 km/h (82,65 mph). The engineer
on the locomotive
noticed the iron bridge carcass swaying and immediately engaged the fast brake and escaped from the control cab to the engine room, which is much better protected against impact. This behavior was later recognized by the Czech Railways
inspectors as exactly what engineers should do in this kind of situation. Also it was said that there is very high probability that this conduct saved his life.
The train struck the obstacle within just a few seconds after the brake engagement was only able to slow down to 90 km/h (app. 56 mph). The locomotive and four carriages derailed after the impact, the carriage coupled as first right after the locomotive sustained the most damage. Six other carriages, among them restaurant carriage, remained on the track. Also three freight vans on another track were derailed.
At the moment of the accident, there were approx. 400 people on board the train, 105 of them of Polish
nationality. There was also a group of people travelling to an Iron Maiden
concert in Prague
.
, Nový Jičín
, Frýdek-Místek
, Opava
, Bílovec
, Olomouc
and Valašské Meziříčí
. Thanks to cooperation within the so-called Integrated rescue system (Integrovaný záchranný systém) were all the injured in the hospitals within two hours after the accident.
Polish authorities offered help with the rescue operation immediately when noticed about the disaster but it was not accepted as not necessary in the circumstances.
The building company ("Dopravní stavby Ostrava") was also accused of being responsible for the tragedy. The spokesman for the company presented an announcement in which the company states that the causes of the falling of the bridge parts onto the track are being investigated and that all the compulsory notifications to the Czech Railways about the reconstruction of the bridge were definitely issued.
man, died later in a hospital. Eighth victim, a 21 years old Polish woman, died two months after the disaster.
The cost of the damage was estimated at 136 million CZK (5.6 million Euro
s, 8.4 million US dollars
), according to the Czech Railways Rail Safety Inspection
announcement.
The Czech Railways company promised to pay compensation to everyone injured as well as to families of the dead. Amount of money paid would then vary depending on individual circumstances of every case.
The train EuroCity
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated EC, denotes an international train service within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains with the "IC" label, "EC" trains are international trains that meet certain criteria. The EuroCity label replaces the older Trans Europ Express name for...
108 Comenius was an express train en route from Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
that struck a part of a motorway bridge that had fallen onto the railroad track near Studénka
Studénka
Studénka is a town of 10,210 residents in Nový Jičín District of the Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It is on the mainline railway between Kraków and Prague, and was the scene of the Studénka train disaster in August 2008. The town is situated on both sides of the historical border...
railway station in the Czech Republic. The train derailed
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
and eight people were killed while 64 others injured.
The crash
The motorway bridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
near the Studénka
Studénka
Studénka is a town of 10,210 residents in Nový Jičín District of the Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It is on the mainline railway between Kraków and Prague, and was the scene of the Studénka train disaster in August 2008. The town is situated on both sides of the historical border...
railroad station, was undergoing a repairs that were to last until September 2008. On the 8 August the workers were putting a beam
Beam (structure)
A beam is a horizontal structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending. The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment.- Overview...
to span
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
between the two supports on the sides of the railroad track. Parts of the beam fell onto the track when the train was 452 meters away, approaching the bridge at 133 km/h (82,65 mph). The engineer
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
on the locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
noticed the iron bridge carcass swaying and immediately engaged the fast brake and escaped from the control cab to the engine room, which is much better protected against impact. This behavior was later recognized by the Czech Railways
Ceské dráhy
České dráhy or Czech Railways is the main railway operator of the Czech Republic. In 2010 its consolidated revenues reached CZK 41.0 bn...
inspectors as exactly what engineers should do in this kind of situation. Also it was said that there is very high probability that this conduct saved his life.
The train struck the obstacle within just a few seconds after the brake engagement was only able to slow down to 90 km/h (app. 56 mph). The locomotive and four carriages derailed after the impact, the carriage coupled as first right after the locomotive sustained the most damage. Six other carriages, among them restaurant carriage, remained on the track. Also three freight vans on another track were derailed.
At the moment of the accident, there were approx. 400 people on board the train, 105 of them of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
nationality. There was also a group of people travelling to an Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
concert in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Rescue operation
Since the accident happened during the day and there were people present in the proximity of the track, the rescue units were notified about the situation almost instantly. First rescue unit, which were firefighters stationed in Studénka arrived at the place only seven minutes after the alarm was issued. There were full 20 firefighter rescue units (altogether 100 firefighters and 40 firefighter engines) rescuing the passengers. Twenty ambulances together with helicopters transported the injured into all the nearest hospitals in OstravaOstrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
, Nový Jičín
Nový Jicín
Nový Jičín is a town in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has ca. 26,500 inhabitants. The city is situated on the spurs of the Carpathian Mountains about from the Czech Republic's 3rd biggest city, Ostrava...
, Frýdek-Místek
Frýdek-Místek
Frýdek-Místek is a city in Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It is the administrative center of Frýdek-Místek District. It comprises two formerly independent towns, Frýdek and Místek, divided by the Ostravice River...
, Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
, Bílovec
Bilovec
Bílovec is a town in the Moravian-Silesian Region, near Nový Jičín. It is situated on the slopes of the Nízký Jeseník mountains and on the banks of the Bílovka River....
, Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
and Valašské Meziříčí
Valašské Mezirící
Valašské Meziříčí is a town in the Zlín Region, the Czech Republic. The town has 27,960 inhabitants.Vsetínská Bečva and Rožnovská Bečva rivers join in the town to form the Bečva River.-Main sights:* The Kinský Chateau...
. Thanks to cooperation within the so-called Integrated rescue system (Integrovaný záchranný systém) were all the injured in the hospitals within two hours after the accident.
Polish authorities offered help with the rescue operation immediately when noticed about the disaster but it was not accepted as not necessary in the circumstances.
Criticism
Immediately after the accident there was a great public roar for finding the culprits. First, the accused was the Czech Railways company for letting trains travel at relatively high speeds in the construction area. Nevertheless, the Czech Railways spokesman stated that the building company did not notify the Czech Railways about the ongoing reconstruction of the bridge.The building company ("Dopravní stavby Ostrava") was also accused of being responsible for the tragedy. The spokesman for the company presented an announcement in which the company states that the causes of the falling of the bridge parts onto the track are being investigated and that all the compulsory notifications to the Czech Railways about the reconstruction of the bridge were definitely issued.
Aftermath
As for the casualties, two Czech men, three Czech women and a Polish woman were killed in the crash, while the seventh victim, a young UkrainianUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
man, died later in a hospital. Eighth victim, a 21 years old Polish woman, died two months after the disaster.
The cost of the damage was estimated at 136 million CZK (5.6 million Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, 8.4 million US dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), according to the Czech Railways Rail Safety Inspection
Czech Rail Safety Inspection
The Rail Safety Inspection Office is an independent state organ which investigates rail accidents and incidents and performs state supervision of the whole Czech rail system. The Office employs 61 people in five offices across the Czech Republic based in Ostrava, Brno, Praha, Plzeň and České...
announcement.
The Czech Railways company promised to pay compensation to everyone injured as well as to families of the dead. Amount of money paid would then vary depending on individual circumstances of every case.
External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7549083.stm
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7549431.stm
- http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/08/europe/OUKWD-UK-CZECH-TRAIN-CRASH.php