Inadequate signaling is the cause of numerous railway accidents in BiH

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The implementation of the technical protection project for six railway crossings in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will provide additional security.

And how insufficient that is, given that the railways of Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine pass through populated areas, often dividing them in two, is confirmed by the large number of traffic accidents caused by train collisions.

Three fatalities

In the Zenica-Doboj Canton, there have been nine traffic accidents at railway crossings from 2021 to date, and three people have lost their lives.

The last case particularly shook Zenica, as a girl with a hearing impairment, who could not hear the audible signals, died as a result of a train collision.

Residents of the village of Vraca near Zenica, who have been facing this problem for years, testify to how insufficient signaling often causes such accidents, and there are many other places in this canton, writes Federalna.ba.

On the other hand, access to the railway area is legally permitted only at safe locations - crossings and platforms, while in practice we witness citizens very often crossing the tracks at unauthorized locations.

Fines for non-compliance with traffic rules are up to 300 KM.

Mirza Dedić survived a train collision in 2010, but his friend lost her life. His memories are still fresh.

- It was dark, I neither saw nor heard. I suddenly saw something, I managed to say - train - and covered my face.

I remember the ambulance, lying in the grass somewhere, some voices and the hospital, then I fell into a coma, I recovered for six months - recalls Mirza.

At Željeznice Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, 195 railway crossings are secured with passive or active signaling. The grim statistics of as many as 15 accidents in the past two years confirm that this is not enough.

Railway crossings are not the only problem

- No matter how much is invested, it is not enough, but it does not guarantee absolute protection if traffic participants of any kind do not adhere to what is prescribed by the signaling - says Vahid Đozo, advisor to the General Director of ŽFBiH.

Insufficient signaling or securing of the railway, especially in populated areas, is often the cause of accidents. This is confirmed by the case at the beginning of the story, as well as the case of the girl with a hearing impairment who lost her life in the village of Vraca.

- I am guilty in this regard because I wanted to cross, but if there had been something like a barrier, a wire, I would have stopped and said - let's go around - says Mirza Dedić.

- Often, due to the noise of vehicles, it is impossible to determine exactly whether a train is coming, and what happens, happens - says Kasim Isaković, a resident of Vraca.

- It's dangerous, we are afraid, even on the road, there is no pedestrian crossing or sign that children are here - says Ajla Kubat, a resident of Vraca.

Experts point out that railway crossings are not the only problem.

- Cases have also been recorded where children playing near train stations climb unauthorized onto the contact network portal, resulting in serious bodily injuries, often life-threatening or even fatal - states Elvedin Fišek, spokesperson for the MUP ZDK Administration.

- In the last three years, the movement of pedestrians on railway tracks in unauthorized places has been prevalent. Casualties are recorded both from train collisions and from high voltage contact network impacts - emphasizes Đozo.

Although the consequences are fatal, they seem insufficient for urgent action. However, there are ways.

- To reduce the number of road and railway intersections, to build roads in such a way that they are reduced to one crossing so that there are as few as possible, and the best result that would fully guarantee safety is the construction of overpasses or underpasses - advises Đozo.

And until the security measures are implemented, citizens must provide the best security for themselves, realizing that once the train driver spots a person on the tracks, tragedy is inevitable due to the train's long stopping distance.