Deadly train accident in Denmark (02/01/2019)

Quakkerillo · 2 Jan 2019

On the railway bridge between Zealand and Funen (for connection to Fredericia on the mainland) a passenger train has hit things that have fallen of a freight train according to the latest report.
At least 6 people are now thought to have died.

Also the E20 motorway bridge adjacent has been closed so that emergency services can use it to access the site.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46734728

RailUK Forums

Groningen · 2 Jan 2019

With no rail- and road connections possible Denmark is split in 2. Hope that it may resolve quickly, but this is serious.

Ash Bridge · 2 Jan 2019

It appears to be curtain sided road trailers loaded onboard a passing train of flat wagons that the EMU has come in contact with?

Pakenhamtrain · 2 Jan 2019

Going off the footage it looks like the front left of the EMU has taken the brunt of whatever it hit.

Gerald Fiennes · 2 Jan 2019

A. looks like an IC4 involved, unlucky or what?
B. strong winds in the area appear to have dislodged some curtain sided trailers on a passing rolling road (ROLA) train, heading to Zealand and carrying beer. Very significant loss of life relative to level of damage apparent from pictures published so far.
C. you can drive Eastbound, but not Westbound at present so Denmark only partially bifurcated.
D. Swedish PM has already sent a message of condolence.

talltim · 2 Jan 2019

Images from the scene show containers on the freight train with their sides torn off

No they don't

Groningen · 2 Jan 2019

If i see it correctly it was beer from Carlsberg and covered with canvas. Also on 1 picture you see that the wind was still strong.

alansheppard77 · 2 Jan 2019

talltim said:
No they don't

yes it does

bnm · 2 Jan 2019

I suspect talltim is pedanticly picking up on the word "containers". This was not a container freight train, it was a ROLA "rolling highway" train, a sort of Motorail for HGVs and/or their trailers.

jon0844 · 2 Jan 2019

Doesn't seem like a time for people to be pedantic, but I suppose it beats a comment on the BBC website that made a joke about fare rises.

route101 · 2 Jan 2019

Always thought of the risk of passing freight , passing trains and at stations .

edwin_m · 2 Jan 2019

bnm said:
I suspect talltim is pedanticly picking up on the word "containers". This was not a container freight train, it was a ROLA "rolling highway" train, a sort of Motorail for HGVs and/or their trailers.

The part pictured is unaccompanied trailers on pocket wagons. Several of them have side damage, suggesting either that the passenger train was derailed (the picture of it is too far away to be conclusive but suggests it is still in line) or that the wind has tipped multiple trailers to be struck by the passing train. I can't see any securing chains or similar - are these just held in place by their own weight?

We had two incidents several years ago in the UK where ISO containers were blown off their wagons. A design fault in the fixing spigots was to blame for the separation, but it did demonstrate that crosswind combined with the dynamics of train movement can be enough to overcome the weight of the load.

All condolences to those affected.

westcoaster · 2 Jan 2019

This tweet shows some substantial damage to both trains . https://twitter.com/eha_news/status/1080393986710425601?s=19

AlexNL · 2 Jan 2019

RTL Nieuws have published video footage from the scene of the accident, shot from a vehicle passing by on the adjacent road bridge: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/laa...beelden-van-ravage-na-treinongeluk-denemarken

The passenger train involved consists of two AnsaldoBreda IC4 diesel MUs. The freight train was operated by DB Cargo.

43096 · 2 Jan 2019

This website has some photos of the remains of one of the lorry trailers embedded in the front and side of the passenger train: https://ekstrabladet.dk/112/uhyggelig-ulykke-aldrig-set-en-tilsvarende-ulykke/7458634

westcoaster · 2 Jan 2019

Looks like the first trailer behind the loco has come off. We've had several containers blown off trains cheddington and shap!.

Do they not lock the kingpin to a device to hold it in place.

Ploughman · 2 Jan 2019

If the Curtain sides have been ripped open.
Could the cause be someone cutting the curtains with a knife?
It is a long standing problem with road freight in the UK with thefts from vehicles.
One of the reasons why you see empty lorries parked with doors / sides open so that would be thieves can see a trailer is empty and do not cut the curtains.

edwin_m · 2 Jan 2019

The photos in the link from #15 show road wheels embedded in the front/side of the passenger train, so it's definitely more than the curtain sides being dislodged.

TRAX · 2 Jan 2019

6 dead and 16 injured is a lot for that kind of accident and damage !

MarkyT · 2 Jan 2019

edwin_m said:
The photos in the link from #15 show road wheels embedded in the front/side of the passenger train, so it's definitely more than the curtain sides being dislodged.

That's what I thought too. The front wagon of the freight train is also missing a trailer, which doesn't really make sense for a rolling road type train, and amongst the trackside debris I noticed a truck tyre. Possible an entire trailer was thown into the path of the other train and it's strong steel chassis caused the damage to the leading carriage body on its left hand side. I don't think beer crates, barrels and pallets could have caused so much damage. It doesn't look like any rail vehicle derailed and there's no obvious damage to OHLE wiring or stanchions.

TRAX · 2 Jan 2019

Yes I’m also leaning to think that a trailer drastically moved (more than dislodging or "extending" itself) in the path of the passing IC4.

GodAtum · 2 Jan 2019

Looks like 1st class was badly damaged?

WzIxMjEyMDE5LCJjeG8uYSIsImh0dHBzOi8vaS5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvMXMvMjAxOS8wMS8wMi8xMy84MDQzNTk2LTY1NDY3NDEtVGhpc19pbWFnZV9zaG93c190aGVfY2FybmFnZV9hYm9hcmRfdGhlX3RyYWluX2FmdGVyX3RoZV9zdWRkZW5fYi1hLTY1XzE1NDY0MzQ4NTI0MDIuanBnIiwicm5kNzg1NyIsImM0N2Y2NjUiXQ==

bnsf734 · 2 Jan 2019

Reading a translation of the Danish newspaper report in the link above it states that the trailers were carrying empty bottles and crates back to the brewery in Fredericia for cleaning and refilling. This means that the trailers would be relatively light and would appear that a trailer was blown off the freight train and was then hit by the passenger train causing a large amount of damage to its cab and front end. These trailers are not secured to the wagons, other than by the fifth wheel coupling, the same as an articulated tractor unit.

theageofthetra · 3 Jan 2019

bnsf734 said:
Reading a translation of the Danish newspaper report in the link above it states that the trailers were carrying empty bottles and crates back to the brewery in Fredericia for cleaning and refilling. This means that the trailers would be relatively light and would appear that a trailer was blown off the freight train and was then hit by the passenger train causing a large amount of damage to its cab and front end. These trailers are not secured to the wagons, other than by the fifth wheel coupling, the same as an articulated tractor unit.

Thanks for that information. I am quite shocked that there is no substantial fixing of these trailers. Who agreed this method of working?

MarkyT · 3 Jan 2019

theageofthetra said:
Thanks for that information. I am quite shocked that there is no substantial fixing of these trailers. Who agreed this method of working?

I'm sure that will be a major part of the investigation, especially given that road and rail had only just been reopened after a period of closure due to weather conditions. Had the wind actually died down as much as had been forecast or measured or were there still dangerous gusts that could equally have blown over similar trailers on the parallel road?

TRAX · 3 Jan 2019

The bridge was closed to road traffic but not to rail traffic at the time.

Groningen · 3 Jan 2019

The amount of deaths has risen to 8.

MarkyT · 3 Jan 2019

TRAX said:
The bridge was closed to road traffic but not to rail traffic at the time.

If there's a risk of HGV trailers blowing over on the road, then some similar risks must apply to the same trailers carried on railway wagons attached in the same way as they would be to road tractors. Videos of overturns on road show the trailer almost invariably takes the tractor over with it, so couplings are usually robust as I'd expect, but a worn bottom flange on a kingpin or other malfunction of the coupling might cause an unexpected separation. Assuming no coupling failure, the trailers in this case couldn't lift the heavy wagons from the rails clearly but a trailer might swing side to side on a kingpin if the trailer wheels lifted from the wagon floor under the side-wind force. The trailers remaining on the train seem to be loaded wheels forward in direction of travel so its possible if the wheels got higher than the sidewall of the wagon the trailer then swung foul of the passenger train's swept path and the slipstream of the train would probably reinforce such a movement unlike when the trailer is in normal road hauled mode where it would tend to centre itself. Following impact, a large proportion of the entire forward force of the freight train could then be transmitted through the coupling and lorry chassis to the passenger train until some part broke.

theageofthetra · 4 Jan 2019

I am still struggling to see how despite a modern unit being involved the death toll is so horrendous.

Not being familiar with the route would this have been a packed commuter train with standing passengers?

Is it possible the trailer got hit so hard it spun round and the very solid chassis then punctured the side of the train?

What sort of impact speed are we looking at?

Could the death toll be high because of the broken beer bottles becoming missiles once inside the passenger vehicle?

Does this type of unit have seats cantilevered out from the side wall (like a 700)? If so I wonder if the side of the passenger train was ripped open like a can taking the seats and their unfortunate occupants onto the track.

westcoaster · 4 Jan 2019

Looks like lots of punctured windows and doors ripped off. Also the inside looks like it didn't hold up well.

Deadly train accident in Denmark (02/01/2019)

Member

RailUK Forums

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Member

Established Member

Established Member

Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Established Member

Established Member

Veteran Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Member

On Moderation

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

Established Member

On Moderation

Established Member