Derailment of IDFT No 40832 at Banya Station on 26.2.2023
On 25 February 2023, IDFT No 40832 departed from Kapikule station at 19:25 p.m. in a composition of 17 wagons loaded with full BTC, 100 axles, 1061 tonnes, operated by locomotive No 91521688025-1. At Kapikule station, the train was handed over by the Turkish railway carrier to the railway undertaking for freight transport “DB Cargo Bulgaria” EOOD. The train arrived at Svilengrad station at 19:45 p.m. and after a border, customs and technical inspection departed at 21:08 p.m. The train arrived at Plovdiv marshalling yard at 23:14 p.m., where the locomotive crew was changed. At 23:30 p.m. the train departed from Plovdiv marshalling yard and passed without stopping the stations to Banya station. During the train movement, the locomotive crew complied with the railway infrastructure section speeds. The staff on duty in stations along the train route did not notice any irregularities.
For accepting IDFT No 40832 at Banya station at 00:30 a.m. on 26 February 2023, the traffic manager on-duty ordered a train crossing route on a second main track without stopping at the station. When the train entered in Banya station, the traffic manager on-duty noticed sparks coming from the wheels of the last wagons and the train stopped. The locomotive driver and the traffic manager on- duty inspected the train and found that the last two wagons of the train had derailed, the 16th wagon No 37804953012-4 series Sggmrs had derailed with the two wheelsets of the third bogie and the 17th wagon No 43714378583-4 series Saagrss had derailed with the four wheelsets of the wagon.
From 00:41 a.m. to 13:15 p.m. on 26.2.2023, the train movement between the stations of Dolna Mahala and Banya were interrupted.
From 13:15 p.m. on 26.2.2023, the train traffic through Banya station was restored on a third track with a speed of 15 km/h.
Because of the derailed train, no personnel were injured, material damages were caused to the derailed wagons, rail track and signalling equipment in Banya Station.