Part of Rail Bridge Collapses in High Tatras, Transport Put Off
High Tatras, August 5 (TASR) – The collapse of part of a rail bridge following a landslide on Friday has put a stop to rail transport between Vysne Hagy and Tatranska Polianka in the High Tatra Mountains, TASR learnt on the same day.
“No train was on the bridge at the time, so nobody was hurt. The so-called bridge parapet was damaged, while the arch of the bridge remained intact,” said Zeleznice SR (ZSR) rail company spokesperson Martina Pavlikova.
According to the Presov regional fire corps, the landslide occurred shortly after an electric train passed over the bridge.
“The causes of the landslide are being investigated, with the extent of the damage to be identified later. ZSR estimates that the bridge repair will take several weeks in order to ensure that trains are able to travel this stretch at least at a reduced velocity,” said Pavlikova.
The 7.3-metre long and 4.3 metre wide concrete rail bridge over the Hromadna Voda brook was constructed in 1910. “It was inspected on a regular basis, with a report from the latest mandatory three-year inspection dating back from November 2015,” said the ZSR spokesperson.
With rail transport suspended, passengers will have to use substitute bus transport on the stretch, reported ZSR on its website, while Pavlikova estimated that the ordinary travelling times will thus be prolonged by some 5-15 minutes. She added that 45 trains pass daily on this stretch on weekdays.
