Work to recover the freight train wagons that derailed yesterday and fell into the Poprad River is expected to continue for at least another 24 hours. The accident occurred on Railway Line 96 between Wierchomla and Piwniczna in southern Poland.
Six empty freight wagons derailed at approximately 3:35 p.m. while the train was traveling from Muszyna to Kędzierzyn-Koźle. The incident took place on the Wierchomla-Piwniczna section of Railway Line 96. Emergency crews from PKP Polish Railway Lines (PLK) are working at the scene.
“Some of the wagons fell into the Poprad River,” said Piwniczna-Zdrój Mayor Tomasz Michałowski.
At 9:00 a.m. today, PLK announced that railway services, supported by heavy machinery, are working intensively to restore rail traffic on the Wierchomla-Piwniczna section as quickly as possible.
“At 1:15 a.m., a specialized crane positioned next to the railway line lifted two derailed wagons. At the same time, 17 wagons were moved to a siding in Nowy Sącz, where they will be inspected by the State Commission for Railway Accident Investigation. Meanwhile, a specialized technical rescue vehicle is operating from the Muszyna side, preparing the remaining wagons for removal from the tracks,” PLK said.
Only after all the wagons have been removed will crews begin repairing the railway tracks. Once the infrastructure has been restored to a safe condition, the operation to recover the wagons from the Poprad River will begin.
“A specialized crane has already arrived at the site and will be responsible for carrying out this demanding operation,” PLK said.
Replacement bus services have been introduced for passengers traveling on POLREGIO and PKP Intercity trains operating along the affected route.
The entire recovery operation is expected to take at least another 24 hours.