DAMMAM, 29 December — An investigation team looking into the cause of a train accident about 150 kilometers from Riyadh on Dec. 16 has failed to reach a conclusive verdict.
While some members of the team — comprising German, South African and Saudi experts — attributed the accident to sand that had accumulated on the rail tracks, others said technical flaws led to the accident, Okaz daily reported yesterday.
Train services on the Riyadh-Dammam route were disrupted during Eid Al-Fitr holidays — the busiest days of the year — as a result of the derailment.
The investigation team did agree that speeding was not a factor in the accident. The train, which had a maximum speed of 135 kilometers per hour, was traveling at the reasonable speed of 120 kph.
The report also said the sand had built up on the tracks because of negligence on the part of the supervisors in the maintenance department.
Minister of Communications Naser Al-Salloum, who is also chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Arabian Railways Organization, has said if the accident was caused by negligence on the part of any officials or departments, appropriate actions will be taken against them.
Stressing the need to take all steps to guarantee the safety of passengers, Salloum urged train drivers to reduce their speed and to take particular care when passing through accident-prone areas.
"Investigations are under way. We will find out whether the cause of the accident was accumulated sand or poor maintenance. If any official or department is found to have been negligent they will be dealt with according to the degree of their failure in line with SRO regulations," the minister said.
He added that the investigations required study of several minute technical details.
Any step taken by the organization will be with the aim of rectifying errors, the minister clarified. He has ordered all the related departments to supply him with the details of the accident, including the design of the engine and the railway tracks.
"Since engineering is in my blood, I will personally supervise the investigation," Okaz quoted the minister as saying.
During an inspection tour to the accident site last Friday, the minister listened to the explanations of various departments and experts. He expressed displeasure at the primitive manner in which sand was removed from the tracks. On Monday, the minister had a meeting with a team of specialists from Germany to review the progress of the inquiries.
Salim Abu Malha, the injured train drive, died at King Fahd Hospital in Hofuf on Wednesday, 10 days after the accident. Assistant driver Ali Al-Zaharani died at the scene of the accident.
