The incident occurred in the morning on the Celje-Velenje line. The train ran over tree branches, garden furniture and a bicycle placed on the trail, and then stopped at the Żalec station. The scene of the incident was secured by the police, who are investigating “the crime of endangering public transport through dangerous actions or the use of dangerous means.”
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What happened on the railway in Slovenia?
What items were on the tracks?
Was anyone injured as a result of the incident?
What actions did the police take in connection with this incident?
The electric multiple unit was taken out of service and replacement bus service was launched on the line. No one was injured as a result of the incident. In a statement to the media, the director of passenger transport of Slovenian Railways Miha Butara expressed his belief that the situation is an act of sabotage.
— This is not simple negligence, it is a planned attempt to harm other people Butara said. He expressed hope that the police would find the perpetrators, also in the case of August 19, early in the morning in Novo Mesto, a passenger train hit railway sleepers deliberately placed on the tracks. “We are outraged by this type of behavior, which is a deliberate act intended to cause property damage and jeopardize the safety of our employees and passengers,” Butara added.
Another such incident in Slovenia
This is yet another case in recent weeks in which unknown perpetrators destroy railway infrastructure or place various objects on the tracks. So far, this has led to several serious accidents. In mid-October, a passenger train derailed at Vintgar station due to intentional damage to a switch. Earlier, at Bled Jezero station, workers prevented a train from derailing when a switch was damaged, and near Rakovnik someone placed a boulder on the tracks.
The potentially most dangerous case occurred on September 29, when, also at the Bled Jezero station, intentional damage to the signal was discovered. Only the quick reaction of employees prevented two passenger trains from colliding.
Due to these events, both railway authorities and services appeal to citizens to immediately inform the police if they detect any suspicious behavior near the railway line.
