Several dozen people were injured after a collision between two fast trains near the village of Jablonov nad Turňou in the Rožňava district of south-eastern Slovakia (Lipovník – výhybňa Tunel), at a point where two tracks converge into a single line, on Monday morning.
The crash occurred shortly after 10:00.
Firefighters, police and paramedics quickly arrived at the scene, with two helicopters airlifting the most seriously injured to nearby hospitals.
According to the national rail operator ZSSK, 30 people were injured, two of them seriously. In total, 80 passengers and four ZSSK employees were on board at the time of the accident.
Health Minister Kamil Šaško initially said 91 people were injured, later revising the number to 69, including seven seriously. “The numbers changed throughout the day due to the difficult terrain and the exchange of information,” the minister said.
No fatalities have been confirmed.
Both train drivers managed to jump clear before the collision. One train remained on the tracks, while the other derailed and came to rest hanging over a nearby slope.
One of the drivers was tested for alcohol and drugs, with both results returning negative. The other, who was seriously injured, was airlifted to hospital, where tests will also be carried out.
An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash.
A senior ZSSK official, speaking to Denník N on condition of anonymity, noted that both drivers were experienced, but that the outdated rail infrastructure in the Rožňava area, dating back to the 1980s, and possible driver inattention may have contributed to the accident.
In 2023, there were 21 cases in Slovakia of train drivers failing to stop at a red signal — one of the most serious breaches a driver can commit. Despite strict rules and repeated training reminders not to take their eyes off the track, lapses in attention — including the use of mobile phones — still occur. Drivers are also required to monitor their service tablets and the locomotive’s control panels while driving.
According to SME, the collision happened when the driver of a train from Košice failed to stop at a red signal and halted only after passing it, entering the track of a fast train arriving from Zvolen. The fast train had just emerged from a tunnel when it struck the stationary locomotive. The Košice train’s carriages remained on their original line, with only the engine crossing over and being pushed back onto its track by the force of the impact.
Train services on the affected section have been suspended, with replacement buses currently operating. The section is expected to reopen on Tuesday.
The damaged carriages are to be moved aside from the track, cut into sections and transported away for removal.