High-Speed Train Obliterates Trailer Stuck on Railway Tracks in Poland

Dramatic CCTV footage has captured the moment a PKP Intercity passenger train smashed into a truck trailer that became trapped on a level crossing near Gdansk, Poland, sending debris flying in all directions. The incident occurred after the driver ignored desperate warnings from bystanders to break through the barriers.

GDANSK, Poland – A terrifying scene unfolded Thursday afternoon at the Gdańsk Lipce railway crossing when a truck hauling a heavy trailer became trapped between lowering barriers, leading to a catastrophic collision with a high-speed passenger train. The incident occurred around 1:20 p.m. local time on September 3, 2026 .

The 42-year-old truck driver, a Bosnian national, entered the crossing as red warning lights began flashing and the barrier gates started descending . The vehicle became stuck in the middle of the tracks, trapped between the gates .

Desperate Warnings Ignored

Surveillance footage released by Polish Railway Lines shows the orange truck crossing the tracks as the barriers begin to lower. The driver comes to a complete stop, hesitating .

Other motorists can be seen exiting their vehicles, frantically waving and gesturing for the truck driver to accelerate through the barrier gates to escape the approaching train . Polish railway safety protocols explicitly instruct drivers in such situations to “break through the barrier and immediately leave the crossing” — because a damaged gate is far cheaper than a collision with a train .

Instead of following their advice, the truck driver attempted to reverse his vehicle, trying to maneuver the long trailer away from the crossing . By the time he finally moved forward, it was too late.

The Impact

Seconds later, the PKP Intercity train “Bachus”, traveling from Gdynia to Zielona Góra with approximately 250-300 passengers on board, slammed into the trailer at high speed . The impact obliterated the trailer, sending debris and sparks flying in all directions .

The locomotive cabin came to rest buried under the trailer’s wreckage .

Miraculously, no one was killed . Four people sustained minor injuries: the train driver, two passengers, and the truck driver . The train driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and later released, while the truck driver was taken to hospital for precautionary checks .

Investigation and Consequences

The collision caused complete suspension of rail traffic along the Pruszcz Gdański to Gdańsk Południowy section until after 11 p.m., causing delays to 279 trains and an estimated infrastructure damage of 140,000 złoty . Thirty trains were cancelled, and 45 were rerouted .

Both drivers tested sober at the scene . Polish prosecutors have opened an investigation on suspicion of “creating the risk of a transport catastrophe” . The truck driver was arrested and faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted of intentionally endangering safety, or up to 3 years if the act is deemed unintentional .

Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak condemned the driver’s actions as “extremely stupid,” stating: “Someone driving a 40-ton truck standing on a crossing while a speeding train approaches? This driver has created a real threat of a land disaster” .

The footage, released by Polish Railway Lines as a chilling reminder to all motorists, teaches the lesson railway safety campaigns have repeated for over 20 years: the barrier is breakable — the train is not .