Freight train derailment in Matanzas causes closure of traffic on the Central Line.

One hundred meters of railway tracks were affected in Matanzas after a freight train derailed between the stations of the Central Line of Quintana and Jovellanos, with no loss of life to report.

The incident occurred at approximately 5:35 a.m. this Thursday, when locomotive 312055 of Train Extra 69 derailed and overturned three container-carrying flatcars at kilometer 151.

The train was composed of 16 cars, of which 14 were container carrying flatcars loaded by the company FerroMar S.A., heading to the province of Villa Clara, reported the official site Cubadebate, without explaining the cargo they were transporting.

A report from the General Directorate of Railways indicates that only the container-carrying flatcars that derailed were numbers seven, eight, and nine in the formation, so the locomotive and the others did not have issues.

This incident also caused the train covering the national route from Guantánamo to Havana to be stopped in Santa Clara until the conditions of the affected track allow for its passage.

The Railroad Union created an investigative committee to clarify the causes and conditions that led to the occurrence of the event and stated that it is working to restore train traffic as soon as possible.

This year, various cases of train derailments have occurred in Cuba, where the deterioration of the railway lines contributes to the insecurity of travel.

One of them occurred in March when the national passenger train covering the Manzanillo-Havana route derailed without any material damage or injuries.

This same train suffered a similar accident last August, but in the municipality of Jobabo, Las Tunas.

The accident occurred at 00:05 hours at the level crossing of the Jobabo station, affecting the front part of the locomotive. Despite the potential seriousness of the incident, authorities confirmed that there were no injuries or significant material damage.

In April of this year, it was a train carrying crude oil that derailed in Sancti Spíritus, with no reported casualties or injuries.

The Extra Train 900, with locomotive 312024, serving the transportation of crude oil, was heading to the Sergio Soto Refinery when it derailed, and subsequently, two of the tankers loaded with crude oil overturned.