The dynamic of the recent train derailment in Norway is still unclear. What is currently known is that the train driver and an employee who helped to prepare the train are under investigation. Moreover, a last-minute emergency call saved the day, allowing a passenger train transiting in the same tunnel to stop and avoid a collision that might have led to tragic consequences.
Norwegian infrastructure manager Bane NOR said that the locomotive, wagons and containers of the derailed freight train was removed from the tunnel by Wednesday, 27 March. The company said that the wagons were not destroyed and have been shipped to Bergen. Now, the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure can begin. There is still no information about how long the process might take and, consequently, when traffic can restart.
Also read: Derailment in Norway blocks rail access to Bergen indefinitely
Freight train may have ran a red light
The available information from the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board is that a freight train may have run a red light at the Arna station and that a diverting switch was activated, forcing the train to swerve right and derail. Which of these two events happened first is still undetermined. This led to an emergency call to all trains nearby that might have saved hundreds of lives. A passenger train carrying 200 people was coming from the other side of the tunnel and, thanks to the call, it was able to stop roughly one kilometre from the derailed freight convoy.
The Norwegian police said that there are two suspects concerning the incident. One is the train driver, who was slightly injured in the accident, and a person who helped to set up the train. The latter already pleaded not guilty, according to Norwegian media VG. It is not yet clear what the position of the train driver currently is. What also remains unclear is the dynamic of the accident.
Also read: Accident in Norway: ‘Some cargo will have to wait for the reopening of the line’
The impact on rail freight
For rail freight, this accident means no traffic at all between Bergen and Oslo, two of the largest ports in Norway. At least 18 freight trains run on the line. A third of them are operated by OnRail, the company involved in the accident, with the remaining 12 belonging to CargoNet. A spokesperson from CargoNet recently told RailFreight.com that only some of the cargo on the Bergen-Oslo line can be moved by road. The rest of it will just have to wait until the reopening of the line, for which no date has yet been set.
