AREQUIPA, Peru – Extra Train 69, locomotive 312055 derailed at 5:35 AM this Thursday and overturned three container ships at kilometer 151, between the Quintana and Jovellanos Central Line stations, in Matanzas province.
According to data provided by the General Directorate of Railways, cited by the state media CubadebateThe vehicle was heading to the Villa Clara province and had a formation of 16 teams, of which 14 were loaded container ships belonging to the FerroMar SA Company.
The three overturned container ships were numbers seven, eight and nine in the formation. The rest of the equipment, including the locomotive, was not damaged, the report said.
As a result of the accident, 100 metres of railway track were affected. “There were no injuries to people’s lives and rail traffic was closed on the Central Line,” said the General Directorate of Railways.
Following the incident, the top railway managers in the region, as well as government and police authorities, went to the scene.
In compliance with the established protocol, an investigative commission was created to clarify the causes and conditions which gave rise to the occurrence of the event.
Meanwhile, National Passenger Train No. 14, which is traveling from Guantanamo to Havana, is in Santa Clara, where it will wait for traffic to resume before continuing its journey.
The Railway Union assures that measures are being taken with the authorities of the territory to guarantee the care of travelers during their stay.
He also reported that work is being done to resolve the problem in order to restore train traffic in “the shortest possible time.”
Freight train derailments are not uncommon in Cubapresumably due to the poor condition and lack of maintenance of the railway lines. This is the fourth major incident to come to light this year.
Last April, the extra 900 train carrying oil derailed during Saturday afternoon 13th in Sancti Spíritus without any spills.
There were no casualties, but the railway track and fuel tanks were damaged, the railway union said.
