The Tretten train disaster occurred on 22 February 1975 when a northbound train (no. 351) from Oslo and a southbound express train (no. 404) from Trondheim, both loaded with vacationing skiers,[1] collided head-on 11NaN1 north of Tretten station.[2] With 27 killed, including seven children under 16,[3] and 25 injured, it was the worst train crash in Norwegian peacetime history.[4] One accident victim was from the United States[5] while the rest were Norwegians, including the politician Tønnes Andenæs. Altogether there were around 800 passengers on the two 12-car trains. Most of those killed were in one car of the northbound train. The operators of both trains survived; one jumped from the cab before the collision. The accident happened because the northbound train, running late, did not wait at Tretten station to let the other pass.[3] One train driver told a newspaper that it was difficult to see the signals because the sun was low in the sky.[6] A station master had cut power to the trains and attempted to warn them, but too late.[5]
In the aftermath of the disaster new safety precautions were discussed and introduced.[7]