The mechanic of the passenger train that hit the freight cars was probably tired, the reaction time was reduced, and the lack of experience on the main section also played a role, he told HotNews.ro. Rodrigo Maxim, President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Railway Transporters of Romania (FSTFR). The management of CFR Călători does not understand the importance of the mechanic position, and they have never received such low wages, says a trade unionist.

“CFR Călători CEO’s statements shed some light, but they are still not enough and AGIFER must be pronounced.”

Maxim says that the directors of SRCF Craiova should resign because of the decisions made, because mechanics with more experience should be put on the main sections, and those with less experience on the secondary ones, especially since they are not needed, we are playing with the lives of travelers. The mechanic from Rosiori had less than three years of experience, says Maxim.

• CFR Călători director’s first reaction after the accident in Teleorman: It would be better for the mechanic to sleep because the safety system restrained him

The accident happened on Monday on one of the railway lines of Romania M100 Bucharest – Timisoara

“The management of CFR Călători does not understand the importance of the position of a mechanic, and these people, in order to earn a living, they go to do other work, maybe they go to work in the fields… they also do something else to be able to live. Mechanics have never been paid so poorly on a railway. Perhaps this machinist was originally working in the fields at home, because everyone who saw him said that he was tired. I don’t know if this is true, it can also be tested, but if he was tired, he also had a slower reaction speed. If he had even less experience than those who were transferred to secondary departments, instead of being left in the main ones, he had a negative speed of reaction,” says Rodrigo Maxim.

• How the railway disaster in Teleorman happened and the incredible silence of the authorities. “Fortunately, the automatic braking systems worked and there was no tragedy”

CFR Călători General Manager Trajan Preoteasa said on Monday evening that the driver of the passenger train made a so-called “controlled overtaking” after running a red light. “If he was asleep, it’s better because the security system restrained him. Or he exceeded the controlled. Therefore, I exclude sleep or communication (the fact that the mechanic would be distracted on social networks – no), because he exceeded the controlled signal. If he was asleep, in terms of the impact, he would have braked on the spot and we would not have come to this situation. Therefore, if he was asleep, it was better than exceeding the signal in a controlled manner,” added CFR director Călători.

What happened in Rosior? “According to the director of CFR Călători, the mechanic would have pressed a button on the locomotive that canceled the signal from the track. The red light was on, at the stop the mechanic got scared and probably pressed that button and then braked. The difference is that if he braked the rig from the track, it did NOT slow down a bit and the freight train no longer caught up, because he braked faster, ahead of time. The experience of the mechanic is very important,” said Rodrigo Maxim for HotNews.ro.

The union official also says that there have been many complaints in recent years that mechanics go out on the road tired, sometimes their reaction speed slows down, and the safety of travelers can be at risk.

Rodrigo Maxim says that CFR Călători mechanics are experiencing a generational change, many have retired or left, and few young people have been hired. “According to our calculations, 300 new mechanics have been hired. There are only 1,400 left out of a maximum of 2,100.”

400 more mechanics will be needed, says Rodrigo Maxim.