The collapse on the main corridor lasted for two hours. Trains were delayed by up to 120 minutes
Due to a train running into a so-called hook on the traction line between Chocní and Ústí nad Orlicí, traffic on the main corridor Prague – Ostrava was stopped for two hours this afternoon. Trains were waiting at stations and some were delayed for up to two hours. “Operation was restored at 2:58 p.m., trains are starting gradually,” said Radka Pistorius, spokeswoman for the Railways Administration.
According to the spokesman, a passenger train of the Czech Railways ran into the hookhouse, which is used as a safety element during repairs on the track. The train was empty of passengers. The collision with the hook on the train damaged the current collector, resulting in damage of about 250,000 crowns. According to Pistorius, the traction line was not damaged. No one was injured in the accident.
The section of the line between Ústí nad Orlicí – Brandýs nad Orlicí is now being modernized by the Railway Administration. The trains run on one track there.
The accident happened on the first day when the Railway Administration used the installation of hooks for the safety of workers after a long period of blackout. At the Bezpráví turnoff, where the accident happened, the hooks will be used until December 8. Originally, it was assumed that the hooks would be installed from November to the end of April next year. However, the railway administration has significantly shortened the time of use of the hooks in order to minimize disturbances on the traction line during the operation of electric trains. In the summer, they often stopped traffic on the railway corridor between Prague and Ostrava.
The hooks ensure that when the train passes through the repaired section of the line, electric current does not enter, which would endanger the safety of the workers. However, if the driver makes a mistake when he does not retract the locomotive’s pantograph, the hook will damage the pantograph.
The total reconstruction of the section between Ústí nad Orlicí and Brandýs nad Orlicí should end in June next year. After that, the long-distance express trains connecting Prague and Brno will return to their original route.