MÉRIDA, Mexico -. The derailment of a train with three passenger cars between the Quintana and Jovellanos stations, in Matanzas, left traffic on the Central Line interrupted since Friday afternoon.
As reported on his networks by the Minister of TransportationEduardo Rodríguez Dávila, after the derailment of the Extra 107 train, locomotive 38209, at km 149.2 of the Central Line, “no damage to the integrity of the people was reported and everyone was evacuated.”
The incident occurred around 05:15 pm while traveling at km 149.2 of the Central Line,
An investigative commission is investigating the causes and conditions of the accident, Rodríguez Dávila said.
On this Saturday morning, traffic on the Central Line was still interrupted, The minister reported in another Facebook post.
“As a consequence of the accident and the interruption of the Central Line, the train from Guantánamo, which remains in Ciego de Ávila, has not been able to circulate towards Havana, and the train from Sancti Spiritus and the train from Holguín have not been able to leave Havana. , which is why many people remain at La Coubre station for a long time,” explained the official, who shared images of the line repair work.
Recent derailment
Freight train derailments are not uncommon in Cuba, presumably due to the poor condition and lack of maintenance of the railway tracks. This is the fifth major one that transcends this year.
On September 12, El Tren Extra 69, locomotive 312055 derailed and overturned three container plates at kilometer 151between the Quintana and Jovellanos Central Line stations, in the Matanzas province.
The vehicle was headed to the Villa Clara province and had a formation of 16 pieces of equipment, including 14 loaded container plates belonging to the FerroMar SA Company.
The three overturned container plates were numbers seven, eight and nine in the formation. The rest of the equipment, including the locomotive, was not damaged.
As a result of the accident, 100 meters of railway tracks were affected. “There was no damage to people’s lives and rail traffic on the Central Line was closed,” said the General Directorate of Railways.
Last April, extra train 900 carrying oil derailed during the afternoon of Saturday the 13th in Sancti Spíritus without any spills.
Likewise, there were no casualties, but the railway track and fuel tanks were affected by the accident, the Railway Union said.
