Around 7:30 AM on July 22, one car of a ZSSK (Slovak Railway Company) train derailed during shunting (posun) at the Bratislava-Nové Mesto train station. There were no passengers in the car, so no one was hurt. However, the incident temporarily stopped train traffic through the station.
For those who travel to work or school by train every morning, the effects were small: only one train was delayed, and regular passenger traffic was not significantly affected. Railway workers later denied the first reports of a complete halt in traffic. By 10:50 AM, traffic through Bratislava-Nové Mesto was fully restored.
The cause is still being investigated. As reported by TASR, the initial theory is a technical problem with the switch or the car itself. The ZSSK has ruled out driver error. Železnice Slovenskej republiky (ŽSR) (Railways of the Slovak Republic) and the train operator are investigating the incident together. The accident damaged the railway infrastructure, so the total costs of the damage will be calculated later.
If you travel by ZSSK trains and experience a delay of more than 60 minutes, remember: according to EU rules, you are entitled to compensation for part of the ticket price. Today's incident did not reach this level, but it is useful to keep this in mind for the future.
