A freight train derailed in Arna, near Bergen (Norway) on the evening of Friday 22 March 2024. No serious injuries were reported, but the railway section connecting Bergen to Vaksdal, part of the Bergen-Oslo line, will be closed with no forecast for a reopening date.
The Norwegian Accident Investigation Board said that the derailment occurred a little after 7 pm. The convoy made up of 25 wagons, was operated by OnRail. It is not clear how many wagons derailed. “The locomotive overturned at the entrance to the tunnel between Arna station and Trengereid, and the driver was slightly injured”, the board explained. This caused significant damage to both the train and the infrastructure.
Over the weekend, Norwegian infrastructure Bane NOR commenced work to remove the catenary system to enable the removal of the damaged train. However, the cleanup process is likely to take quite some time. “We have no forecast for when we can resume normal traffic flow on the Bergen – Vaksdal section”, Bane NOR specified.
The Bergen-Oslo line
With this accident, the rail connection between Oslo and Bergen, two of Norway’s largest ports, is interrupted. It is thus likely that the derailment will have a significant impact on rail freight in Norway. Other than OnRail, the line is also used by CargoNet. In 2021, the Norwegian government approved a plan to double the Arna-Bergen section in 2025 to possibly double rail freight volumes. It is not clear if this accident will have an impact on this project.
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