Train driver fired for running a red light: Responsible for incident near Danilovgrad train station

After months of disciplinary proceedings, the Railway Transport of Montenegro (ŽPCG) has dismissed train driver GN because they determined that he was responsible for the incident near the Danilovgrad railway station on March 7, when a train passed through a stop signal and with 30 passengers found itself on the same tracks and head-on with a freight train.

This was officially told to "Vijesti" by this state-owned company.

"Vijesti" learned from unofficial sources from ŽPCG that the dismissal was handed down in early June, and one of them said that workers had not previously been dismissed for this offense, and that they expect the train driver to file a lawsuit against the company for such a decision. Another source believes that the punishment is not severe enough, and claims that the train driver was driving trains from Podgorica to the north during the disciplinary proceedings.

Train 7106, which was transporting passengers from Podgorica to Nikšić that March evening, failed to comply with a red stop light near the Danilovgrad railway station, cut through the exit switches and found itself on the same track with a freight train from the opposite direction. Fortunately, there was no contact at that time, and a source for "Vijesti" from ŽPCG said that the lives of the train driver, conductor, assistant and passengers were at risk that evening, and that a tragedy was barely avoided.

The Ministry of Transport announced in March that, upon completion of the work of the inspection and the competent commissions, the documentation on the incident would be submitted to the competent prosecutor's office, and "Vijesti" referred the matter to the ŽPCG. When asked whether they had written to the prosecutor's office after the driver's guilt was established, ŽPCG did not provide a specific answer, but only said that they had taken all necessary actions in this case.

"The disciplinary proceedings relating to the incident of March 7, 2025 have been completed, all in accordance with the applicable regulations and internal acts of ŽPCG. The train driver was found guilty in this proceeding and the measure of termination of the employment contract was imposed," ŽPCG said briefly.

"Vijesti" also asked the train driver for a comment on the dismissal and this situation, but he did not want to comment on the situation.

A source from ŽPCG said that the train driver was fired for a violation that is not the first time it has happened, and that none of them had been fired for a similar act before.

"As far as we know, the disciplinary proceedings have not been completed and the executive director (Dragana Lukšić) made the decision to dismiss, according to our information, under certain pressure. It is very likely that the decision will be to the detriment of ŽPCG and that the colleague will win the case in court, primarily due to the failures of the legal department, which is not surprising, because the legal department of ŽPCG has lost most disputes in court. However, if this verdict is in favor of the train driver, and everything is going towards that, it is the direct responsibility of the legal department and the executive director who made the decision without completing the disciplinary proceedings," he emphasized.

Another source from ŽPCG also said that the disciplinary measure imposed corresponds to a misdemeanor, and that it is in accordance with the Labor Law and the Rulebook on Employee Liability. He pointed out that it is strange that the train driver has changed his statement in the meantime and stated new reasons for his omission, but that he believes it is due to fatigue - because he worked in parallel for the companies "Kombinovani prevoz" and "16. februar".

"He was fired, but that measure is not enough. If you run a red light with a car, the Court for Violations can, in addition to a fine, revoke your license, and he endangered himself, passengers and other workers. According to my information, during the disciplinary proceedings, he was simultaneously operating work trains (transporting materials) on the line from Podgorica to the north, which means that the Railway Administration did not revoke his license. No criminal or other proceedings were initiated against him, nor was the prosecutor's office contacted, although they were obliged to do so...", said the source.

At the end of last year, ŽPCG dismissed several workers because they did not want to sign an annex to their employment contract, which would have obliged them not to work for that company and competing companies at the same time. The trains were parked at the time because the workers claimed that they did not want to operate faulty trains, while ŽPCG claimed that the employees were obstructing them. After an agreement with ŽPCG management and the Ministry of Transport, as well as the signing of an annex to the contract, they were reinstated, and it was agreed that they could work for other companies only with a permit.