Skoda derailed
2010-06-29
Whenever a plane crashes or a train derails in the world,
accident investigators consider whether human error, equipment
failure or other factors were responsible. A proper investigation
into the death of the engine driver and injury of 11 passengers in
the derailing yesterday of a City Elephant train from Škoda
Vagonka would look not only at the usual possible causes of
such an accident, but also the Czech-specific circumstances.
Czech Railways, DP Praha and other local transport companies
have increasingly put their passengers' safety into the hands of
locomotives and trains from the Škoda/Appian group of
companies. Often, it seems the main criterion has been the
excellent political connections of Škoda's anonymous owners.
Siemens, which was no match politically for the Škoda machine,
had to shut down its Prague rail business for lack of orders. A
logical question for investigators is to what degree equipment
safety has been compromised as a result of the political decision
to feed the Škoda monopoly.
[Czech Republic Škoda Transportation Dopravní podnik]
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