Railway professionals and ambulance, police and fire service representatives also participated in the rescue exercise organised by GYSEV Zrt. in Sopron on 19 June 2013. During the simulation a yard locomotive collided with two motor vehicles. As Mr Zoltán Schváb, Deputy State Secretary for Transport under the Ministry of National Development emphasized at the venue, similar exercises are extremely important in order to ensure effective, fast and synchronised rescue operation and restoration in real accident situations.

During the simulation a yard locomotive with a passenger carriage collided with two motor vehicles at 30 km/hour speed and caught fire. In the mock accident practised as part of the rescue operation a person travelling in one of the cars died, another person and the driver of the engine sustained severe injuries, while two other persons suffered minor injuries.            

Following the arrival of the authorities and railway bodies at the scene the police secured the area while the ambulance began saving the injured and the firemen extinguishing the fire. For the technical rescue and the clearing of the track a newly arrived railway rescue carriage was used. Railway traffic could return to normal an hour after the simulated accident.      

‘Efficient, professional and synchronised rescue operations may save human lives. The best way to protect travellers, however, is to do everything in order to avoid accidents. Prevention is targeted by the national transport safety infrastructure development programme launched by the Government whose first phase is worth HUF 55 billion (www.erjhazabiztonsagban.hu).

GYSEV is also part of one of the main domestic transport policy initiatives: the railway company may use HUF 982 million to make railway transport, and in particular railway crossings safer,’ said Mr Zoltán Schváb, Deputy State Secretary for Transport under the Ministry of National Development at the rescue exercise venue.

Mr Szilárd Kövesdi, chief executive of GYSEV Zrt. emphasized that the fundamental task of the railway company was to ensure the problem-free operation of railway lines therefore the adequate preparation of professionals for accident situations was of great importance. He also thanked for the synchronised rescue operations of the ambulance, police and fire service workers and railway professionals performed at railway accidents in recent years.

(Ministry of National Development, Communications Department)