Time 16:47 CEST (14:47 UTC) Type of incident Derailment Trains 1 Total number of deaths 1 Injuries 11 | Location Ústí nad Labem Cause Excessive speed Date 28 June 2010 Country Czech Republic Operator České dráhy | |
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Rail line Prague - Ústí nad Labem | ||
The Ústí nad Labem derailment occurred on 28 June 2010 when a CityElefant train derailed at Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic. The driver was killed and eleven passengers were injured.
Contents
Train
The train involved was a ČD Class 471 CityElefant double deck electric multiple unit that had been manufactured in 2001.
Accident
At 16:47 CEST, the train was derailed on approach to its final scheduled stop, Ústí nad Labem hlavní nádraží, in the southern suburb of Vaňov. It was almost at the end of its journey from Prague when the accident happened. The leading carriage smashed into a concrete wall after being derailed. The driver was killed and eleven passengers were injured, including two with serious injuries. The train's cab car was irreparably destroyed, while the other two cars survived with only minor structural defects. The line, which forms part of an international railway corridor linking Prague and Berlin, was closed following the accident, although one track was later reopened to traffic but requiring the use of diesel locomotives as the overhead wiring had been damaged.
Cause
Although investigations are still underway, it has been already reported that at the time of the accident, the train was travelling at 108 kilometres per hour (67 mph) while the speed limit at that location was 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph). The most probable cause of the disaster is thus either a fault of the brakes or the driver's inattention.