FINAL REPORT on a Railway Event Investigation - Derailment of an International Direct Freight Train (IDFT) No 48009 at Plovdiv Station on February 16, 2019.

On February 15, 2019, at 23:22 hours, (IDFT) № 48009 departs from Iliyantsi station to Plovdiv-distribution station. The train was transported by the railway carrier “Bulmarket Rail Cargo” EOOD. The train consists of two towing electric locomotives № 8686 and the auxiliary one, № 86003, followed by 27 wagons incl. 1 empty wagon for prevention, 25 tank cars filled with oil gas (propane-butane) and 1 empty wagon for prevention, 108 axles, 1895 tons. The train route is Iliyantsi - Karlovo - Plovdiv - Plovdiv - distribution. Departing from Iliyantsi train station, the train passes without stopping and features till Hristo Danovo station, where a meeting with freight train № 30620 occurs, and then leaves for Karlovo station. The train has changed the direction of movement at Karlovo train station and the locomotives respectively have changed their places.

After leaving Karlovo station at 02:57 hours, the train travels without stopping till the station of Graf Ignatievo and after a 1-minute stay leaves for Plovdiv station. At Plovdiv station, the train route is prepared for a reception without stopping on the second reception-dispatch track to Plovdiv-distribution station.

Upon train's leading locomotive № 86003 entering the area of the tongue part of railroad switch № 74 in Plovdiv station a vertical fracture of the left deflection tongue has followed, immediately before the passage of the first wheel pair axle of the leading locomotive. The breaking zone is realized in the transition from normal rail to tongue profile, where the shape and cross section of the divergent tongue are changed. This is followed by the derailment of the two locomotives with all the wheel pair axels and the first three wagons of the train to the left of the second track. The speed at the time of derailment has been 33 km/h at 04:15 hrs on February 16, 2019.

A notification from the motorman to DHT at Plovdiv station has followed and to other officials.

There are no injured personnel due to derailment. Damage to the railway infrastructure - railway, switch No. 74 and two SOA-3 switch apparatus, as well as to the security equipment occurred. Both locomotives and three wagons are damaged.

The traffic on the second track in Plovdiv station is stopped from February 16. till February 19, 2019.