Tracks re-opened following crash

photo - PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk

Traffic had been confined to one track in the wake of the accident, which was Poland's worst rail catastrophe in over twenty years, claiming 16 lives.

Some 39 people remain in hospital following the head-on collision in the vicinity of Szczekociny. Four of the injured are in intensive care.

Meanwhile, lawyer and former deputy prime minister Roman Giertych has spoken out about compensation for the victims' families.

“I think that the yardstick here should be the sum which the relatives of the Smolensk air disaster received,” he told the Fakt daily.

“That is 250,000 zloty (60,280 euros) for every family member of the deceased,” he said.

“If a significantly lower sum is proposed, then it would certainly be worth going to court to fight for a higher sum,” he said.

A signalman charged in connection with the disaster remains in psychiatric care, owing to shock. Medical experts advise that he is still too volatile to be interviewed or to hear the charges against him.

Nevertheless, Polish Railways (PKP) have admitted prior knowledge of a fault on the line in southern Poland where the crash occurred.

The fault concerned a set of points; the switch that enables a train to pass from one track to another.

“I know that this fault had been registered, but I don't know if it had any influence on the catastrophe,” said Director of PKP, Adam Mlodawski, in an interview with the TVN television network.

He refused to comment further on the matter. However, the television station, which obtained a log book relating to the line where the crash occurred, alleges that there was a second signal fault, shortly after the set of points. (nh/pg)

Source: IAR, PAP