Following the recent train collision near Pezinok, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has demanded the immediate dismissal of the entire management team of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) and called for proposals to appoint new leadership. The Pezinok accident, which occurred on Sunday, November 9, involved REX 1814 colliding with Ex 620 after the regional train driver reportedly ran a red signal. While there were no fatalities, dozens of passengers were injured, with 79 hospitalized, three of them sustaining serious chest and abdominal injuries.
Transport Minister Jozef Ráž, who was abroad at the time of the accident, offered his resignation, but Fico chose a different course of action. “Regardless of whether these people are directly responsible for the accident, this is the second such incident in a short time, involving passenger transport… We are talking about a modern section of railway between Bratislava and Žilina, where safety levels are at the maximum, which is why I am taking only this step at this time,” Fico said. He instructed Ráž to proceed immediately with the dismissals and present proposals for new leadership within ZSSK.
The government also plans to present a compensation proposal for victims of both the Pezinok accident and an earlier collision near Rožňava in mid-October, while requesting the Ministry of Transport to submit preventive measures to improve railway safety within three weeks.
Railway safety experts have emphasized the urgent need for investment in modern signaling and train control systems. Ondrej Matej, director of the Institute for Transport and Economy (IDH), noted that the Pezinok line is equipped with the modern ETCS system, but the regional train involved did not have it installed. “If both train sets had been equipped with ETCS, the collision would not have occurred,” Matej said. He proposed that only locomotives equipped with ETCS should be allowed on modernized tracks, as is already the practice in the Czech Republic.
Matej also highlighted funding solutions for safety upgrades, including ending free train rides for students except for school commutes and limiting free travel for seniors during peak hours, which could generate approximately €30 million annually to improve safety and install ETCS systems on all locomotives. The director stressed that the accidents serve as a warning that Slovakia must prioritize railway modernization and that politicians are ultimately responsible for delays in implementing these safety measures.
Source: TASR
