Polish train drivers' go-slow over crossing safety disrupts services
A go-slow by Polish train drivers over level-crossing safety delayed 203 of 290 PKP Intercity services, with average delays of 37 minutes.
Train services across Poland were disrupted on Friday after drivers staged a go-slow protest over safety at level crossings, leaving most of the day's connections behind schedule.
Under the action, which lasted until midday local time, drivers reduced their speed to 20 kilometres per hour at every level crossing on their routes.
Operator PKP Intercity said that by noon, 203 of its 290 services were running late, with delays averaging 37 minutes. The knock-on effects were expected to be felt for the rest of the day.
Sebastian Piernik, a member of the train drivers' union ZZM, described the action as an act of desperation rather than a protest, saying the union's safety demands had previously been ignored. He said the central problem was ensuring that drivers who cross tracks against a red signal face consequences.
The action followed a series of accidents at level crossings caused by road users ignoring warning signals. On Wednesday, one person was killed and 10 others were taken to hospital after a train struck a truck at a crossing in central Poland and derailed.
In Gdansk, resident Alicja Kiman said the protest came as little surprise, describing motorists as frequently reckless. She recalled seeing rubbish trucks tear down a closing barrier twice by forcing their way through.
The government has said it will bring in tougher penalties for drivers who disregard warning signals at crossings and is spending hundreds of millions of zlotys on safety improvements. Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said the changes would carry the risk of losing a driving licence for any driver who enters a road-rail crossing while the red light is on.