Havana/An accident between a passenger train and an ambulance occurred this Tuesday in the municipality of Candelaria, province of Artemisa, with no injuries reported, according to the Cuban Railway Union.
According to an official note released by the railway entity, the event took place around 1:00 pm, at kilometer 64.0 of the West Line, when Extra Train No. 47, which covered the Havana-Pinar del Río route, collided with an ambulance at a level crossing that gives access to the town of La Quebrada. The locomotive involved was 38269, and the convoy carried three passenger cars.
The train had left at 9:00 am from the 19 de Noviembre station, in the Havana municipality of Plaza de la Revolución, and was moving normally when the impact occurred. According to preliminary investigationsthe ambulance driver tried to cross the track before the train passed, but the vehicle suffered a mechanical failure, remaining immobilized on the rails.
Images from the accident site show the ambulance, identified as part of the Artemisa Advanced Life Support system, with visible damage to the side, stopped on the railway line, while several agents and railway workers evaluated the scene. Despite the violence of the impact, no injuries were reported among the medical staff or the passengers and crew of the train.
The official note also specifies that the locomotive, cars and railway infrastructure were not affected, which allowed a quick recovery of the service.
The official note also states that the locomotive, cars and railway infrastructure were not affected, which allowed a rapid recovery of service. Local government authorities, representatives of the railway sector and members of the Ministry of the Interior went to the site and coordinated the work to clear the road. As a result, railway traffic was able to be restored at 3:05 pm, just over two hours after the accident.
This event adds to a series of recent incidents on the Cuban railway network, which occurred in a context of deterioration of infrastructure, scarcity of resources and frequent indiscipline at level crossings. In recent months, the country has recorded derailments and collisions that have highlighted the risks associated with the railway system, both due to technical failures and human errors.
A recent case was the derailment of a passenger train in Villa Clarawhich occurred at the end of June, which forced the suspension of service on that route for several hours. As reported 14ymediothat accident revived criticism about the state of the tracks, the age of the railway fleet and the lack of adequate signaling in numerous sections of the country.
Last August, the Guantanamo-Havana national train derailed in a section near the Cuevas de Bellamar highway, in Matanzas. Seven cars left the road, four of which were completely separated from the rest of the convoy. Despite the magnitude of the incident, only three minor injuries were reported among the more than 820 passengers traveling on board.
/ Union of Railways of Cuba/ Facebook
In that case, the authorities recognized that “the impact was severe on the road infrastructure” and, although the preliminary hypothesis pointed to the poor condition of the railway as the main cause, an official report was not issued on possible responsibilities. It is estimated that 67% of roads and 40% of infrastructure need maintenance in the country.
Specialists and users agree that level crossings without automatic barriers, poor visibility and the habit of trying to cross “before the train passes” continue to be high risk factors. In rural or community access areas, such as the crossing towards La Quebrada, these dangers are aggravated by the circulation of emergency vehicles and heavy transport, often also affected by mechanical problems.
The Cuban Railway Union regretted what happened this Tuesday and apologized to travelers for the inconvenience caused.
