Poland drafts strict rail crossing penalties after fatal train crash near Przysucha

Collision at Sokolniki Suche

Around 11:30 on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, a freight truck collided with a passenger train at a rail crossing near National Road 12 in Sokolniki Suche, near Przysucha. The PKP InterCity service, named Koziołek, was travelling from Lublin Główny to Szczecin Główny carrying at least 114 people, including three crew members. The collision derailed the electric locomotive and the first two passenger carriages. Emergency services reported that 20 people were injured or affected, with eight passengers requiring urgent hospitalisation in Radom and Kielce.

One female passenger travelling in the front carriage died of her injuries after being transported to the hospital. Four individuals sustained severe injuries, including the train driver, the truck driver, and another passenger. At the Mazovian Specialist Hospital in Radom, spokeswoman Karolina Gajewska stated that three severely injured individuals were treated, with one patient discharged after treatment for a hand injury, another hospitalised with chest injuries, and a pregnant passenger remaining under observation in stable condition alongside her unborn child.

On-site investigation and evidence collection

Radom District Prosecutor's Office supervised the criminal investigation at the crash site alongside police officers from Przysucha and the Mazovia Regional Police Headquarters. Investigators deployed a drone and specialized 3D scanning equipment to document the crash scene for technical experts. Inquiries also involved the State Commission on Rail Accident Investigation and a dedicated rail commission from PKP Skarżysko-Kamienna.

Spokeswoman Aneta Góźdź confirmed that investigators secured the cab data recorder from the locomotive. Radom District Prosecutor Robert Czerwiński stated that locomotive video monitoring will definitively establish the circumstances of the collision. Preliminary findings indicate the truck drove onto the tracks despite an active red signal forbidding entry.

Proposed three-month licence suspensions

Following the incident, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak announced emergency legislation to penalize level-crossing violations. Speaking during a press appearance alongside European Council President António Costa, Tusk stated that urgent action was necessary to halt motorists who systematically enter railway crossings against warning signals and barriers.

In a television broadcast on TVN24, Klimczak detailed the core sanction under preparation for crossing violations.

We want to introduce a regulation on the basis of which every driver who enters a road-rail crossing when the red light is on will lose their driving licence; it will be suspended for three months.

Klimczak added that the government is drafting amendments to the Penal Code in coordination with the Minister of Justice. Under the planned legal adjustments, courts will be required to impose prison sentences and temporary driving bans on motorists whose actions on rail crossings cause traffic disasters or fatalities.

Legislative schedule and consultations

The Ministry of Infrastructure prepared the regulatory package immediately after the collision. Klimczak confirmed that he engaged with railway stakeholders, including the president of the Rail Transport Authority and the leader of the train drivers' trade union. The discussions aimed to align the safety revisions with operational feedback prior to governmental review.

The package of draft regulations moves to formal consultations on 10 September 2026. Prime Minister Tusk requested that a finished bill be ready for presentation at the Council of Ministers meeting next week.