Ankara High Speed ​​​​Train Accident Case Trial Held

A trial was held regarding the High Speed ​​​​Train accident that occurred in Ankara. İsmail Çağlar, who was the deputy general manager of TCDD at the time of the accident, was heard as a witness in the hearing of the case where 13 pending defendants were tried for the High Speed ​​​​Train (YHT) accident that occurred on 2018 December 9 in Ankara, in which 107 people were killed and 10 people were injured. Çağlar said that he did not know about the risk analysis regarding the opening of the line to traffic before the signaling was completed.

The pending defendants, the complainants and the lawyers of the parties attended the hearing at the Ankara 30th High Criminal Court. At the hearing, İsmail Çağlar, who was the deputy general manager of TCDD at the time of the accident, was heard as a witness. Çağlar, who did not answer most of the questions of the lawyers of the complainant and the defendant, said, "Do you have any information about the risk analyzes made about the opening of the boiler to transportation even without a signaling system?" He replied "I don't know" to the question.

İsmail Çağlar answered the question of whether he had training on traffic regulation related to the operation of trains, and that TCDD had knowledge of the legislation on this issue. Witness Çağlar, when asked whether the train staff (scissors) Osman Yıldırım had received any training, said that Yıldırım was experienced and did not need to be retrained.

The lawyers of the accused, who were heard after the witness, stated that İsmail Çağlar was found to be defective in the expert report prepared after the accident; however, he reminded that he was not prosecuted because the ministry did not give permission for an investigation. The lawyers demanded to be asked about the outcome of the objection made to the Council of State about not granting an investigation permission. Accepting the request, the court adjourned the hearing to make up for the deficiencies.

What happened?

High Speed ​​​​Train (YHT), which makes the Ankara-Konya expedition, crashed into the guide locomotive at Marşandiz station. In the accident, in which some of the wagons of the YHT fell and a part of the station collapsed, 9 people lost their lives and 107 people were injured. (T24)