Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak stated that the crossing signaling at the site was functioning correctly. The railway commission and prosecutors are currently investigating the accident. This incident was the latest in a sequence of four collisions involving heavy vehicles over a seven-day period.
The series of accidents began on September 3 at Gdańsk Lipce, where an intercity train from Gdynia to Zielona Góra collided with a truck trailer. Around 250 passengers were aboard the train. The driver of the train was taken to hospital, and both tracks between Gdańsk Południowy and Pruszcz Gdański were initially closed. Rail traffic was suspended on this section until after 11 pm, with services diverted via alternative routes. According to the manager of the national rail network, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PLK), witnesses had signaled to the truck driver to break through the barrier and leave the crossing immediately. The driver reportedly attempted to reverse and then tried to break through the barrier but was struck by the train before clearing the tracks. No injuries were reported among the 250 passengers.
Two further collisions occurred on September 7. Near Okuniowiec, a freight train running from Białystok towards Mockava hit a truck at an unguarded crossing. The locomotive partially derailed, and the truck driver was hospitalized. The damage to the track halted passenger services towards Lithuania, necessitating replacement buses for four intercity trains. Several hours later in Jastrowie, a truck collided with an intercity train from Ustka to Przemyśl. Approximately 440 passengers were on board. No injuries were reported, but rail traffic was interrupted, and passengers were transferred to replacement transport.
The recurrence of these incidents has brought level-crossing safety back onto the political agenda. Following the recent accidents, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak announced plans to implement tougher penalties for violations. One specific proposal involves the suspension of a driver’s licence for three months for entering a level crossing against a red signal. The rail network has reminded the public that if a vehicle becomes trapped between barriers, the driver must break through and leave the crossing immediately to avoid collision.
Investigations into all four incidents are ongoing, with the focus on determining the specific circumstances of each collision and the condition of the signaling systems involved.
