C13/​1997R Haz­ardous sit­u­a­tion in rail­way traf­fic at Lep­pä­vaara, on April 4, 1997

04.04.1997

On Friday, April 4, 1997, a hazardous situation was generated on Leppävaara railway yard, when a local train having left Leppävaara station found itself on the same non blocked track with another local train travelling towards it. An accident was avoided by the driver of the first train stopping the train. Also the Leppävaara dispatcher discovered the irregular situation, and he stopped the other train approaching from the opposite direction. The trains then ended by facing each other at a distance of one kilometer.

The hazardous situation was due to the dispatcher having turned the point too early. He thought that the irregular occupied position of the points was a result of the train having already passed the locked points. However, the occupied position of the point was caused by a crosscutting of a rail by saw required by maintenance work operations performed.

Recommendation S75
Recommendation S76