An uncoupled train, people trapped for hours in the dark due to a fallen electric line, as well as passengers jumping across the train tracks to escape a train engine on fire. All these unfortunate scenarios occurred on the services of the state railway carrier since the beginning of September. According to the carrier's spokesperson, Tomáš Kováč, the company is working diligently to investigate the reasons behind several train malfunctions and adopt measures aimed at bolstering its own ability to respond.
Passengers who ended up stuck for more than five hours on trains without any lights or access to toilets in early September, after an overhead line was brought down close to Bratislava main station, will become the beneficiaries of extraordinary compensation that goes beyond the scope of transport regulations. According to Tomáš Kováč, during the accident the carrier chose not to sacrifice passenger safety in the name of passenger comfort and there were clear orders not to allow the passengers to leave the powerless trains brought to a standstill outside stations.
In response to allegations from the opposition parties that unexperienced political nominees are managing the railway carrier, the spokesperson said that the parliamentary opposition was misusing the problems to gain political capital. The Transport and Construction Minister Árpád Érsek (Most-Híd) pointed to the fact that Slovak railways had been neglected for a long period before his arrival at the ministry.
