Vratsa railway crossing collision involves passenger train and truck

A passenger train traveling from Montana to Sofia collided with a heavy truck at a railway crossing in the Kulata district of Vratsa, Bulgaria. The incident occurred at approximately 17:20 on the Beli Izvor – Vratsa section.

According to the National Company Railway Infrastructure (NKZHI), the collision was caused by a traffic violation by the truck driver. Investigators noted that the crossing was equipped with functional light and sound signals, including a red light and a ‘Stop’ sign, which the driver failed to obey while making a right turn. The train was traveling at a permissible speed of 90 km/h and the driver attempted to reduce speed to 70 km/h after spotting the vehicle, but the impact could not be avoided.

Although the collision was severe, resulting in the locomotive and trailer ending up on opposite sides of the tracks and damaging a parked car, no injuries were reported among the 23 passengers on board. The passengers were evacuated and transported via bus. The accident caused significant disruptions to the rail network, affecting six trains and resulting in cumulative delays of up to 340 minutes due to damage to the railway infrastructure and overhead lines.