Two trains stop 50 meters apart on same track at Kielce Herbskie station
A Polregio regional train and a TLK service stopped 50 to 60 meters apart in Kielce after a driver passed a stop signal and a dispatcher activated emergency braking.
Near-miss on the tracks at Kielce Herbskie
On Monday, 24 August 2026, at approximately 11:20, two passenger trains came to an emergency halt on the same track at the Kielce Herbskie railway station in south-central Poland. A Polregio regional service operating on the line from Busko-Zdrój to Częstochowa bypassed an optical semaphore displaying a stop signal and entered a track section already occupied by the incoming TLK Małopolska train. The on-duty traffic dispatcher detected the presence of two opposing trains on the single track section and initiated immediate emergency measures. The dispatcher activated the automated Radio-Stop safety system, triggering an emergency brake application that stopped the regional train and the InterCity service within an estimated distance of 50 to 60 meters apart.
Emergency braking and safety procedures
The intervention prevented an imminent collision between the two passenger trains at the station approaches. The Radio-Stop safety system broadcast an emergency radio frequency command to the receiving units of all trains in the local sector, prompting their automated braking mechanisms to engage. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and Polregio representatives reported that no passengers or rail crew members sustained injuries during the rapid deceleration. Railway authorities confirmed that neither the locomotives, the passenger carriages, nor the stationary track infrastructure suffered physical damage during the incident.
- Polregio train passes a stop signal and enters a track occupied by another train
- Traffic dispatcher activates Radio-Stop system, halting both trains 50 to 60 meters apart
- Rail traffic through Kielce Herbskie resumes after an approximate 60-minute suspension
Station disruptions and passenger arrangements
The safety incident led to an immediate suspension of train traffic across the Kielce Herbskie rail junction for approximately 60 minutes. Station personnel and railway technical services isolated the section of track to allow initial inspections and to document the positions of the halted trains. Polregio organized alternative transportation arrangements, transferring passengers from the stranded regional service onto another train to complete their scheduled journey to Częstochowa. Following the clearance of the tracks and the preliminary safety review, normal train movements through Kielce Herbskie station were restored.
Railway commission investigation and driver qualifications
A formal railway commission was convened on site to investigate the exact circumstances of the signal pass at danger. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe spokesperson Piotr Hamarnik confirmed the deployment of the commission and verified that all technical procedures were executed correctly by the dispatcher. Polregio spokesperson Karol Jakubowski stated that the regional train was operated by an experienced driver holding valid medical tests and full professional licensing permits.
The commission will explain why the driver of the Polregio train on the Busko-Zdrój to Częstochowa route did not stop before the semaphore displaying a stop signal and entered a track occupied by another train.
The commission is currently reviewing signaling telemetry, interlocking records, and radio communications to establish why the regional train failed to stop before the red semaphore.
