Rail safety improves in Poland
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
28.01.2016 10:44
According to PKP PLK, responsible for Poland’s railway infrastructure, last year saw a 12 percent decrease in railway accidents such as derailments and collisions compared to 2014.
Foto: Flickr.com/Mark Dries
“Last year was yet another year in which the number of railway accidents has fallen,” commented Andrzej Pawłowski, deputy director of PKP PLK.
Pawłowski revealed that the number of derailment or collision incidents stood at 152 in 2015, a 21 percent fall from 2014.
“Unfortunately 75 percent of all accidents on the railways are caused by careless drivers or pedestrians,” Pawłowski explained.
“Although we are conducting a campaign to educate people, many are still crossing tracks in areas which are often off-limits.”
The company manages around 21,500 km of track around the country, including just over 15,000 railway crossings.
“We are investing billions of PLN into modernizing the railway network and purchasing modern equipment … The positive trend in railway safety confirms the effectiveness of our actions,” added Pawłowski.
PKP PLK is thought to have modernized 670 railway crossings last year alone, also repairing 800 km of track and constructing 84 elevated crossings to improve safety. (sl/nh)
Source: PAP