FINAL REPORT from Investigation of significant railway accident – derailment of full tank cars from the composition of direct freight train № 90593 between the stations Vetovo – Senovo on 23.04.2021

On 22.04.2021 at 23:30 p.m. DFT № 90593 departed from Ruse marshalling yard to Belozem station consisting of: 28 wagons, of which 2 security wagons, one at the head and at the end of the train, and 26 tank cars, full with light fuel (petrol), 437 meters, 1831 tons. The train was served by 3 locomotives - headed by an auxiliary locomotive № 92530600685-7, a train locomotive № 91530400605-8 and a pushing auxiliary locomotive № 91520087020-1.

The route of the train is in the direction Ruse marshalling yard - Kaspichan - Shumen - Komunari - Zimnitsa - Belozem. The railway undertaking Bulgarian Railway Company EAD serviced the train.

DFT № 90593 was accepted at Obraztsov Chiflik station on the second acceptance-departure track at 23:55 p.m. After a stay of 11 minutes for uncoupling the auxiliary locomotive-headed № 92530600685-7 from the train, the same departed with 2 locomotives at 00:06 a.m. with train locomotive № 91530400605-8 and a pushing auxiliary locomotive №91520087020-1.

DFT № 90593 passed without stopping through the stations Yastrebovo at 00:19 a.m., and Vetovo at 00:33 a.m. to Senovo station. In the interstation Vetovo - Senovo the rail track was signalled with two temporary reductions of the speed by 25 km/h. The first reduction the train passed at a speed of 18 ÷ 20 km/h, and in the second reduction, the train entered at 17 km/h. After entering the second reduction, the pressure in the MAD of the train dropped sharply to 0 bar at 00:49 a.m. and the train stopped. The second-person locomotive driver of locomotive № 91530400605-8 and the locomotive driver of the pushing locomotive № 91520087020-1 inspected the train and found that there were derailed five tanks, two of them laying down. Following the information received, the first-person locomotive driver duly notified the officials concerned.

The train dispatcher closed the Vetovo-Senovo interstation for the movement of the trains and ordered switching off the voltage in the catenary, which was switched off at 01:13 a.m.

At around 02:10 a.m., two specialized vehicles of FSaCP - Ruse arrived on the scene and undertook tamponing of the leaks and flooding the tanks with foam.

On 24.04.2021, diesel locomotive № 92520007106-4 was sent from Senovo station, which pulled the first four wagons together with the train locomotive № 91530400605-8, back to Senovo station.

On 24.04.2021 locomotive № 810761 was sent from Vetovo station, which with three shunting movements pulled the second non-derailed part of 19 wagons of № 90593 in Vetovo station.

Because of the derailment, severe damages were caused to 2500 m of railway infrastructure, as well as damages to the 5 derailed tank cars.

In order to restore quickly the capacity of the railway infrastructure, emergency recovery activities were required in the period 24.04. ÷ 01.05.2021 for relocation of the derailed rolling stock and restoration of the railway infrastructure between Vetovo and Senovo stations. The Railway Infrastructure Manager restored the traffic at a speed of 25 km/h.

There were no injured staff, as well as other persons.