Railway track repaired after train with oil derailed in Sancti Spíritus

The railway line in Siguaney, affected by the derailment of an oil train on April 13, has been restored after intensive reconstruction work.

The accident It occurred near kilometer 364.2 of the Central Line. The Cuban government has not yet detailed the reasons that led to the derailment of the two tankers of the train transporting oil to the Sergio Soto Refinery in Cabaiguán, causing significant damage to almost 300 meters of track.

More than 60 workers, including members of the Jarahueca, Remate and Venegas Roads and Bridges brigades, as well as Guayos Youth Labor Army and Sancti Spiritus platoons, and provincial and national rail sector specialists, collaborated on the reconstruction.

Carlos Martínez Rodríguez, acting director of the Railway Construction Company in Placetas, Villa Clara, assured that the rapid recovery of the track was a challenge.

"The task was arduous, since we had to replace all the sleepers, more than 400, in a complicated scenario where, unlike other accidents, no sleepers were saved, which slowed down the work," he toldEscambray.

The operation not only involved the repair of the road, but also the recovery of fuel from the damaged tankers and the management of an oil spill, which according to the official press was quickly contained thanks to the intervention of the authorities and specialized teams.

Leonel Díaz Camero, delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) in Sancti Spíritus, confirmed thatbetween 200 and 250 liters of oil were spilled, which were contained before they affected river sources.

"The spill occurred five kilometers from the Zaza River and action was taken promptly to prevent the contaminant from reaching the river," said Díaz Camero.

They created containment barriers with earth and manually collected the fuel, highlighting the complexity of these operations due to the difficult access to the accident site.

No injuries to people were reported, but the incident did leave material losses, damage to the railway, fuel tanks, as well as loss of oil, a very precious element in the current energy crisis in the country.

The prompt restoration of the section allows circulation on the Central Line to resume, although caution remains in place regarding the speed of rail traffic in the area.