The Moscow Interregional Transport Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee continues investigating a criminal case launched into crash of passenger and freight trains as containing signs of a crime under part 3 of article 263 of the RF Penal Code (violation of safety standards for traffic and operation of railway transport entailing by negligence death of two or more people).
According to investigators, on 20 May 2014, during unplanned repairs on the span between the stations Bekasovo-1 and Nara, workers of Moscow-Kiev distance of the railway of Moscow branch of Russian Railways violated the rules of repairs. Namely, machinists of the trains travelling this way had not been notified about repairs and necessity to do them. As a result, the machinist of the freight train when coming from a curve could not prevent the derailment of the cars and their crashing into the passenger train travelling in the opposite direction Moscow-Kishinev.
According to initial information the cause of the crash was technical failure of the railways resulted from the repairs. In addition the repairs were made violating the temperature rate, that is the repairs should not have been made in high temperature. Besides, no signalmen were located to signal the machinists of trains about the traffic changes on this section of the railway. The investigators are going to find out why the repairs notification was not brought to train crews.
As a result of efficient investigating operations, the investigators have detained 41-year-old foreman of Moscow-Kiev section of the railway Alexander Sokolov. The investigators are also deciding on the restraint to the yard foreman, who during the investigation was taken to hospital by ambulance and diagnosed with post-stress asthenovegitative syndrome. According to the doctors it is now impossible to question him.
The Investigations Directorate together with supervising bodies and the transport offices of the Russian Ministry of Interior are carrying out investigating operations necessary to find out all the circumstances and causes of the accident and to identify other persons involved. The investigators are going to find all people, whose actions or inaction caused such tragic consequences. This is not the case where switchmen are held accountable for everything.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
PDF version 
DOC version
