The investigative unit for railway accidents in Estonia was formed on 31 March 2004 when the Railways Act which came into force on the same day, enforced the legal provisions stipulated in the “Railway Safety Directive” 2004/49/EC. With the formation of the investigation unit of railway accidents at the Crisis Regulation Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications the safety investigations of railway accidents began. Before that, an investigation unit for aviation accidents had already been operating at the Crisis Regulation Department and later, an investigation unit for maritime accidents had been added. Since the safety investigations were only loosely connected to the core function of the Crisis Regulation Department, on 1 January 2012 a new structural unit of the same ministry was created: The Safety Investigation Bureau (ESIB). The ESIB investigates maritime, aviation and railway accidents and incidents.

During the year the Safety Investigation Bureau received 8 verbal accident notifications of accidents. This does not include known suicides or suicide attempts which, as premeditated acts by one of the parties, are not classed as accidents. In addition, a verbal initial notification was received of 5 incidents which were all track breakages. Of the accidents, 4 were level crossing accidents, the rest were classified by individual cases.

Preface to the report Pursuant to the European Parliament and Council Railway Safety Directive 2004/49/EC safety investigations into railway accidents have been carried out in Estonia since 31 March 2004. On 1 January 2012 safety investigations of the three different transport sectors were centralised into a unified Safety Investigation Bureau, a unit of the Ministry…