C5/​2000R Sleeper-car­ry­ing unit and rail re­placer col­lid­ing at Ol­hava on 3 July, 2000

03.07.2000

On July 3, 2000, a sleeper-carrying unit collided with a rail replacer north of Olhava station. In the collision the shunting foreman and two trackmen were injured. The rail replacer and four cars were damaged.

In sleeper replacement work between Olhava and Ii, a sleeper-carrying unit was to bring wagons loaded with concrete sleepers from Ii to the work site. Pushed by a locomotive, the unit set out from Ii towards Olhava. By means of a radiophone, the conductor controlled the shunting movement from the first wagon of the unit. The unit stopped at the Olhava entry signal. The dispatcher at Olhava advised the unit of the location of the wagons of the rail replacer and granted it permission to run directly to the rear of the wagons of the rail replacer at the work site north of Olhava. The unit set out pushing the wagons towards the site. When approaching the site, the engine driver failed to hear in the radiophone the signals as communicated by the conductor and as a result, the unit collided with the wagons of the rail replacer.

The accident was a result of negligence of the Train Safety Regulations (Junaturvallisuussääntö, Jt) and the radiophone operating instructions, and of too high a speed in approaching the site, with consideration of the prevailing circumstances. The engine driver heard in the radio the conductor’s advice of the distance to the site being one kilometre, and he acknowledged receipt of the message. Thereafter he failed to hear anything in the radio about the signals as communicated by the conductor, and he continued the shunting movement at the same speed until the collision took place.

Recommendation S159
Recommendation S160
Recommendation S161