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Litigation over IT scandal involving Newag trains begins

18 July 2024
Reading time ~ 1 min
Diagnostic procedures in the driver's cab of the Newag Impuls
Diagnostic procedures in the driver's cab of the Newag Impuls. Source: Adam Haertle
Krechetov Dmitry, Editorial Contributor
Reading time ~ 1 min
Savenkova Ekaterina, Editorial Contributor to International Projects of ROLLINGSTOCK Agency

Poland: The local manufacturer has initiated legal proceedings against the service company SPS and the hacker group Dragon Sector at the District Court of Warsaw. The lawsuit alleges defamation and gross copyright infringement due to the interference with the trains’ software. Newag is seeking €1.37 mln in reputational damages.

SPS is preparing a counterclaim against Newag, seeking an apology and damages for the downtime of rolling stock. The case has been taken by the Polish antitrust authorities and prosecutor’s office.

Previously, Dragon Sector announced the discovery of an undocumented locking code in the Newag Impuls train’s software. The hackers have stated that the code completely blocks trains when they are in an independent repair shop or after travelling 1 mln km. Consequently, a number of vehicles were unable to start following repairs at SPS.

Once the software had been unblocked, the trains were able to resume normal operations. Newag has stated that the vehicles may not meet safety requirements due to external interference. As a result, the manufacturer has provided operators with a free software license.

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