Great Belt Bridge rail accident explained

Great Belt Bridge rail accident
Image Alt:Photograph showing the type of train involved in the accident
Coordinates:55.3012°N 10.8599°W
Date:2 January 2019
Time:07:35 (CET)
Location:West Bridge, Great Belt Fixed Link
Country:Denmark
Line:Copenhagen–Fredericia/Taulov Line
Service:InterCityLyn (express train)
Type:Collision
Cause:Collision with semi-trailer from cargo train
Trains:2
Passengers:131
Crew:4
Deaths:8
Injuries:16

The Great Belt Bridge rail accident occurred on 2 January 2019 on the Great Belt Fixed Link in Denmark when a passenger train collided with a semi-trailer from or on a passing freight train. The Great Belt Fixed Link is an long bridge–tunnel connection between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, and the accident happened on the West Bridge, near Funen. The accident happened during a storm, which had closed down the bridge for road traffic, but not for rail traffic. Eight passengers were killed, all Danish citizens, and 16 were injured, making it the deadliest rail accident in Denmark since 1988.

An early investigation found that in some cases, wagons similar to the one involved in the accident failed to lock the semi-trailers in place. A full investigation was published several months later and it confirmed the earlier results. The Danish Transport Authority temporarily banned this kind of wagon until extra locking procedures were put in place, and have tightened the rules for freight on the bridge during windy weather. Shortly after, temporary measures to avoid similar accidents were introduced throughout Europe and permanent measures will be introduced in early 2020.

In January 2021 the use of pocket wagons was again suspended in Denmark, following an incident on the same bridge when a semi-trailer had shifted position, and had protruded beyond the side of its freight wagon.[1]

Accident

Due to Storm Alfrida,[2] which hit Denmark on 1 January 2019, the Danish Road Directorate closed the Great Belt Bridge for all road traffic on the night between 1 and 2 January. It was expected to reopen at 11:00 a.m. on 2 January.[3] Rail traffic was not restricted.[4] Both road and rail traffic travel by the West Bridge, a low box girder bridge, but the more wind-exposed East Bridge, a suspension bridge, is only for road traffic, as trains here travel by tunnel.[5]

At 07:11 a.m., InterCity express ICL 210 departed from Odense headed for Copenhagen. Operated by DSB, it was carrying 131 passengers and a crew of three when it arrived at the western end of the bridge.[6] [7] Meanwhile, a freight train operated by DB Cargo with a crew of one,[8] loaded with semi-trailers carrying crates of empty bottles belonging to Carlsberg, was heading in the opposite direction towards the Carlsberg brewery at Fredericia, to the north west of the crash site.[9]

Shortly before 07:35 a.m.,[10] on the West Bridge of the Great Belt Fixed Link, between the islands of Sprogø and Funen, the passenger train collided with an object initially believed to be a tarpaulin from the freight train, but later that same day identified by Accident Investigation Board Denmark to be an empty semi-trailer from the freight train.[11] The train driver has since said that he noticed sparks lower than usual (i.e. not from the overhead catenary) and that "something big" was hanging from the approaching freight train.[12] [13]

The storm and the location of the crash complicated the emergency operation.[14] Initially, six casualties were confirmed while the trains were still on the bridge, but after they had been moved to a secluded area, two more bodies were found in the passenger train.[15] Both in relation to the accident and the ongoing storm, the government crisis management organization, the National Operative Staff (NOST) decided to convene.[16]

Eight passengers were killed, five women and three men, and 16 were injured in the accident.[17] None of the wounded had life-threatening injuries: 14 had minor injuries, and 2 had moderate injuries.[18] On 4 January, all victims had been identified as Danish citizens, between 27 and 60 years old.[19]

The bridge reopened for road traffic at approximately 12:20 on 2 January. Later that afternoon, the westbound carriageway was briefly closed due to queueing by curious drivers.[20] Rail traffic was restarted at 10:40 a.m. on 3 January, when one track opened,[21] and all traffic was normal by the evening.[22]

Investigation

The investigation was handled by the Accident Investigation Board Denmark.[23] On 2 January 2019, shortly after the accident, investigator Bo Haaning said the accident was caused by a collision between the passenger train and an empty semi-truck from the freight train. However, he stated that details surrounding this were still uncertain: "It [the trailer] either hit the train, or the train drove into it". The full investigation could take up to a year.[24]

Initial media speculation focused on the weather conditions. At the time of the accident, the wind gusts were measured to be up to, a gale, with average wind speeds lower.[25] [26] The wind was coming from the north, perpendicular to the bridge. If the average wind speeds, as measured over 10 minutes, had exceeded, the speed limit for freight trains would be decreased from, and by, all traffic would have to be cancelled. Since no limits were exceeded, no restrictions were imposed.[27] [28] Both Banedanmark, operators of the Danish railways, and Sund & Bælt, operators of the bridge, said that all procedures had been followed.[29] According to Jacob Mann, professor in wind energy at DTU, the wind can not be the only cause of the accident.[30]

The media also focused on whether the semi-trailer was properly secured to the rail wagon. On this type of wagon, a pocket wagon, the front of a semi-trailer is fixed only with its kingpin. The back of the semi-trailer is kept in place as the wheels are lowered into a "pocket".[31] Following the accident, operator DB Cargo temporarily suspended all freight trains carrying bottle crates.[32] The accident resembled an incident in Hamburg, Germany, where a semi-truck that was not properly secured had been dislodged and collided with a bridge pier.[33] [34] The European Union Agency for Railways is supposed to forward information relating to serious incidents, but Danish authorities had not been informed about the German accident prior to the Danish accident.[34] [35]

On 5 January 2019, the Danish Transport Authority issued a warning about pocket wagons used to transport semi-trailers, on the recommendation of the Accident Investigation Board Denmark, stating that the locking mechanism securing the trailer could pose a safety risk.[36] [37] It also requested the Joint Network Secretariat (JNS) to open a formal procedure.[38] On 7 January 2019, a test at DB Cargo showed that, after a semi-trailer had been loaded and secured, it could still be lifted off the wagon.[39] The freight train had been checked prior to departure, and seemed to have been properly secured.[40] The following day, the national transport authority temporarily prohibited the use of pocket wagons to transport semi-trailers until extra locking procedures were put in place, and tightened the rules for freight trains crossing the Great Belt, with respect to wind conditions.[41] [42] Shortly after, temporary measures to avoid similar accidents were introduced throughout the continent by the European Union Agency for Railways.

Final report

On 18 December 2019, the investigation board published its final report on the accident. It concluded that its cause was that the semi-trailer was not locked in place, and that improper maintenance was the reason for it not working. The locking mechanism needs regular lubrication, but the official guidelines were incomplete, resulting in insufficient lubrication of some of its parts. At the same time, there was uncertainty about who was responsible for this part of the maintenance (whether it was DB that leased and operated the freight train wagon, or VTG Rail that owned it).[43] If the locking mechanism had been properly functioning, the wind would not have been able to loosen the semi-truck from the freight train. As a result of the investigation, new guidelines on the maintenance of such locking mechanisms were expected to be implemented throughout Europe in early 2020.[43]

Evidence tampering

Shortly after the accident, a union representative of DB Cargo crossed out the name of a colleague who had checked the loaded freight train before departure. He said he crossed out the name because that was not the person who performed the check. The representative was suspended on 11 January 2019, and dismissed by DB Cargo in May 2019.[44] He was later given a 20-day suspended sentence for evidence tampering; a judgment was upheld in an appeal.[45]

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2021/01/22/is-the-great-belt-bridge-a-potential-danger-for-pocket-wagons/ Railfreight.com. Is the Great Belt Bridge a potential danger for pocket wagons?.
  2. News: Togpersonale uden skyld i den værste ulykke i over 30 år. Christoffersen. Jonas Stenbæk. 2 January 2019. Berlingske. 2 January 2019. Thomsen. Peter. da. Train crew not responsible for worst accident in over 30 years. Nielsen. Jens.
  3. News: Blæsten lukker Storebæltsbroen. Ingvorsen. Emil Søndergård. 2 January 2019. DR. 2 January 2019. da. Wind closes down the Great Belt Bridge.
  4. News: Vindstød på Storebælt var tæt på alarmgrænsen, da gods fløj af ulykkestoget. Christiansen. Flemming. 2 January 2019. Politiken. 2 January 2019. da. Wind gusts on the Great Belt were close to the limit, when goods flew off the train from the accident.
  5. News: Sund & Bælt gav grønt lys til øl-tog. Schmidt. Søren Stjerne. 2 January 2019. TV2 Fyn. 2 January 2019. da. Sund & Bælt gave green lights to the beer-train.
  6. News: Det ved vi om ICL 210 og ulykken, der kostede seks livet. Sørensen. Kaare. 2 January 2019. TV 2. 2 January 2019. da. This is what we know about ICL 210 and the accident who cost six lives.
  7. News: Denmark train crash: Six dead and 16 injured in railway accident on Great Belt Bridge. Cockburn. Harry. 2 January 2019. The Independent. 2 January 2019.
  8. News: Operatør bag forulykket godstog: - Vi fik grønt signal fra Banedanmark. Herschend. Sofie Synnøve. 2 January 2019. TV 2. 2 January 2019. Moestrup. Jonas H. R.. da. Operator behind wrecked freight train: - We were given green lights by Banedanmark. Møller. Niels Lykke.
  9. News: Six die in passenger train crash on Danish bridge . Witherow. John. The Times . 72734 . 3 January 2019 . 34. 0140-0460.
  10. News: Train accident on Danish bridge kills six. 2 January 2019. BBC News. 2 January 2019.
  11. News: Havarikommissionen: Tog ramte tom lastvognstrailer. Thomsen. Per Bang. 2 January 2019. DR. 2 January 2019. Ingvorsen. Emil Søndergård. da. Accident Investigation Board Denmark: Train hit empty semi-trailer. Himmelstrup. Sophie Brochdorff.
  12. News: Advokat: Lokofører så gnister lige før togulykke. 4 January 2019. DR. 5 January 2019. ritzau. da. Lawyer: Train driver saw sparks just before train accident.
  13. News: Traileren skar sig gennem toget 20 cm over lokoførerens hoved: "Gud, er du overlevet?". Peter. Thomsen. 3 January 2019. Berlingske. 5 January 2019. Christoffersen. Jonas Stenbæk. da. The trailer cut through the train 20 cm over the train driver's head: "God, did you survive?". subscription. Nielsen. Jens Beck.
  14. News: Fatal train accident closes Denmark's Great Belt Bridge. 2 January 2019. 2 January 2019. Deutsche Welle.
  15. News: Yderligere to personer omkommet ved togulykke på Storebælt. Mejborn. Katja. 3 January 2019. TV 2. 5 January 2019. Andreasen. Kasper B.. da. Two more persons died in train accident on the Great Belt.
  16. News: Statens kriseberedskab aktiveret efter togulykke. 2 January 2019. 3 January 2019. ritzau. The government's crisis management activated after train accident.
  17. News: Ofre er endnu ikke identificeret. 2 January 2019. 3 January 2019. ritzau. da. Victims not yet identified.
  18. News: Kvæstede i Storebælts-ulykke uden for livsfare. Ingvorsen. Emil Søndergård. 2 January 2019. DR. 2 January 2019. da. People injured in Great Belt accident not in critical state.
  19. News: Omkomne fra togulykken er nu identificeret. Hansen. Christian. 4 January 2019. B.T.. 4 January 2019. da. The people killed in train accident is now identified.
  20. News: Politiet lukkede Storebæltsbroen: Fokuser på vejen og ikke ulykken. Norup. Mark Lindved. 2 January 2019. DR. 3 January 2019. da. Police closed the Great Belt Bridge: Focus on the road and not the accident.
  21. News: De første tog er nu kørt over Storebælt efter ulykke. Andreasen. Kasper B.. 3 January 2019. TV 2. 3 January 2019. da. The first train have now crossed the Great Belt after accident.
  22. News: Togene kører som normalt over Storebælt efter dødsulykke. 2 January 2019. Politiken. 5 January 2019. ritzau. da. Trains runs as normal across the Great Belt after deadly accident.
  23. News: Havarikommissionens togdetektiv er på sagen. Ritzau. 3 January 2019. Berlingske. 4 January 2019. The Accident Investigation Board Denmark's train detective is on the case.
  24. News: Afklaring af årsag til dødelig togulykke kan tage op til et år. 3 January 2019. Berlingske. 5 January 2019. Clarification on the cause of deadly train accident can take up to a year.
  25. News: Banedanmark efter togkatastrofe: Blæsten var ikke oppe i det røde felt. Moki. Morten Kiilerich. 2 January 2019. Horsens Folkeblad. 8 January 2019. da. Banedanmark after train disaster: The wind were not in the danger zone.
  26. Web site: Vindmålinger fra Storebælt 2.1.2019. 8 January 2019. Banedanmark. da. Wind measurements from the Great Belt 2.1.2019. 8 January 2019.
  27. Web site: Restriktioner for tog ved vind på Storebælt. 2 January 2019. Sund & Bælt. da. Restrictions for trains during wind on the Great Belt. 5 January 2019.
  28. News: Forulykket godstog måtte godt køre over bro i blæsevejr med normal hastighed. Møller. Peter. 2 January 2019. TV 2. 5 January 2019. da. Wrecked freight train were allowed to cross bridge in windy weather at normal speed.
  29. News: Banedanmark om togulykken: "Vi har fulgt de retningslinjer, som man har fulgt igennem mange år". Christoffersen. Jonas Stenbæk. 2 January 2019. Berlingske. 5 January 2019. Banedanmark on the train accident: "We have followed the rules, that we have had for many years".
  30. News: Ekspert i vind: Stormen kan ikke alene være skyld i togulykken. Herschend. Sofie Synnøve. 4 January 2019. TV2 News. 4 January 2019. da. Expert in wind: The storm can not alone be the cause of the train accident.
  31. News: Var det kun en metaltap, der holdt vognen fast? "Ja, det kan man godt sige". Thomsen. Peter. 6 January 2019. Berlingske. 7 January 2019. da. Was it only a metal pin that held the trailer in place? "Yes, you can say that". subscription.
  32. News: DB Cargo har stoppet kørslen med øltog efter dødsulykke på Storebælt. Maach. Maja Lærke. 3 January 2019. DR. 5 January 2019. da. DB Cargo have stopped all beer-trains after deadly accident on the Great Belt.
  33. News: Tidligere chef-operatør: Vi havde en lignende ulykke med godstog. Djursing. Thomas. 4 January 2019. Ingeniøren. 5 January 2019. da. Former chief-operator: We had a similar accident with a freight train. subscription.
  34. News: Utilfredse ordførere: Danske myndigheder blev ikke informeret om tysk togulykke. Nielsen. Morten. 9 January 2019. TV 2. 9 January 2019. da. Dissatisfied political spokespersons: Danish authorities were not informed on German train accident.
  35. News: Myndighederne fik ikke besked om tysk togulykke - nu kræver politikere handling fra ministeren. Nielsen. Morten. 10 January 2019. TV 2. 18 January 2019. da. The authorities were not informed about the German train accident - politicians require action from the minister.
  36. Web site: ADVARSEL: Trafik-, Bygge- og Boligstyrelsen udsteder hermed advarsel på jernbaneområdet. 5 January 2019. trafikstyrelsen.dk. Trafikstyrelsen. da. WARNING: The Transport, Construction and Housing Authority hereby issue a warning in the railway domain. dead. 7 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190107181134/https://www.trafikstyrelsen.dk/DA/Presse/Nyhedsarkiv/Jernbanesikkerhed/2019/01/ADVARSEL-Trafik-Bygge-og-Boligstyrelsen-udsteder-hermed-advarsel-paa-jernbaneomraadet.aspx. 7 January 2019.
  37. Web site: Trafikstyrelsen advarer mod brug af særlige vogne efter togulykke, hvor otte mistede livet. Sebastian Myrup Hansen. 7 January 2019. tv2.dk. TV 2 (Denmark). da. The Danish Transport Authority warns against the use of special wagons after train accident, where eight lost their lives. 7 January 2019.
  38. era.eu: JNS urgent procedure ‘Great Belt Bridge accident 2nd Jan. 2019’. May 7, 2019.
  39. News: Test af togvogne hos DB Cargo afslører "et forholdsmæssigt for stort antal fejl". Herschend. Sofie Synnøve. 8 January 2019. TV 2. 8 January 2018. da. Test of train wagons at DB Cargo reveals "a proportionally too big number of errors".
  40. News: Togulykken: Lokoføreren på godstoget opdagede ikke ulykken, før toget holdt stille. Hagemeister. Marie Louise. 9 January 2019. DR. 9 January 2019. Runge. Morten. da. Train accident: Train driver on the freight train did not noticed the accident, before the train came to a halt.
  41. News: Trafikstyrelsen skærper regler efter ulykke på Storebæltsbroen. Herschend. Sofie Synnøve. 8 January 2019. TV 2. 8 January 2019. da. The Danish Transport Authority tightens rules after accident on the Great Belt Bridge.
  42. Web site: Forbud mod sættevogne og nye vilkår for godstog på Storebæltsbroen. 8 January 2019. Trafik-, Bygge- og Boligstyrelsen. Ban on semi-trailers and new terms for freight trains on the Great Belt Bridge. 8 January 2019. 8 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190108200957/https://www.trafikstyrelsen.dk/DA/Presse/Nyhedsarkiv/Jernbanesikkerhed/2019/01/Forbud-mod-saettevogne-og-nye-vilkaar-for-godstog-pa-Storebaeltsbroen.aspx. dead.
  43. News: Endelig rapport om togulykken på Storebælt. Braagaard. Natali. 18 December 2019. TV2. 18 December 2019. da. Finally a report about the train accident on the Great Belt.
  44. News: Frandsen. Søren. Tillidsmand fyret efter dødsulykke på Storebæltsbroen - forsøgte at skjule navn. 22 May 2019. TV 2. 6 March 2020. da. Union representative fired after deadly accident on the Great Belt Bridge - tried to hide name..
  45. News: Christensen. Cæcilie Dohn. Mand dømt efter togulykke på Storebælt: Slettede kollegas navn. 6 March 2020. TV 2. 6 March 2020. Rtizau. Søndberg. Astrid.

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