On 4 April 2023, a freight train and a passenger train collided with construction equipment obstructing the line at Voorschoten, South Holland, Netherlands. The passenger train was derailed. The operator of the crane was killed and 30 people were injured, 19 of whom were hospitalized.
| 2023 Voorschoten train crash | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) The wrecked NS VIRM 9405, photographed the day after the accident. .jpg) A freight train hauled by a DBAG Class 189 locomotive. The formation of the train is similar to that of the train involved in the accident. | |
  Voorschoten, South Holland | |
| Details | |
| Date | 4 April 2023 03:25 CEST (01:25 UTC) |
| Location | Voorschoten |
| Coordinates | 52°07′22″N 4°25′45″E / 52.1228°N 4.4291°E |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Line | Amsterdam–Haarlem–Rotterdam railway |
| Operator | Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) (passenger) DB Cargo (freight) |
| Incident type | Two collisions; derailment of one train |
| Cause | Line obstructed |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | 50 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 30 |
Crash
editAt 03:25 CEST (01:25 UTC),[1] a freight train, operated by DB Cargo and hauled by DBAG Class 189 locomotive number 189 054,[2] collided with a road–rail crane that was obstructing the line at Voorschoten, South Holland, Netherlands,[3] which connects Leiden Centraal with Den Haag Centraal and Den Haag Hollands Spoor, all located on the Amsterdam–Haarlem–Rotterdam railway.[4] The locomotive hauling the freight train was severely damaged,[3] but was not derailed.[5] The crane landed in the path of, and was then run into by, a passenger train,[4] operated by NS VIRM unit 9405.[1] There was between one and five minutes between the two collisions. The passenger train was travelling at 137 kilometres per hour (85 mph) when it collided with the crane.[6] All four vehicles of the passenger train were derailed.[7] Two of the four tracks through Voorschoten had been closed for investigation and engineering work to take place.[8]
A small fire broke out in the rearmost carriage of the passenger train, but it was quickly extinguished.[1] The passenger train was travelling from Leiden to Den Haag, South Holland.[7] A "Code 50" alert was issued, as more than 50 people were presumably injured. A GRIP 3 situation was also declared, indicating an incident that threatens the well-being of a large number of people in a single municipality.[9] The driver of the freight train was reported to have survived uninjured.[8] The driver of the passenger train survived with several broken bones.[10] Two conductors on the passenger train were injured.[4]
On 5 April 2023, ProRail CEO John Voppen stated that the freight train was likely to have been on the correct track.[5] On 7 April, it was reported that the crane had arrived at the site ahead of schedule. Permission was requested at 03:23 for traffic to be stopped to allow the crane to be placed on track. The crane operator was told to wait for 10 minutes before this would be possible. By 03:29, power had been lost to the overhead catenary at Voorschoten.[11]
Victims
editThe operator of the crane was killed — an employee of Royal BAM Group, the company who owned the crane.[4][12] An additional 30 people were injured, 15 of whom were "serious".[9][13] Emergency services attended the scene. Nineteen of the wounded were taken to hospital.[7] Ten of them had been discharged by midday.[14] Three people were sent to intensive care — two at Leiden University Medical Center and one at HMC Westeinde.[15] Five people were still hospitalized on 7 April, with one in intensive care.[16]
Aftermath
editThe line was initially expected to remain closed until at least 16:00 on 4 April 2023.[17] It was later announced that the line would not reopen that day. Leiden Centraal station was closed on 4 April 2023 due to overcrowding as a result of the crash.[18] Buses replaced trains between Den Haag Centraal, Den Haag Laan van NOI, Den Haag Mariahoeve, Voorschoten, De Vink, Leiden Centraal, Sassenheim, Nieuw-Vennep and Hoofddorp.[10]
The freight train had been removed from Voorschoten by 6 April. The four carriages of the VIRM were removed on 11 April. The rear two carriages left for Amersfoort by rail, and the front two carriages were to be taken by road.[19][20] The line was reopened on 20 April 2023.[21]
Investigations
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The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) opened an investigation into the crash.[1] Their investigation will focus on whether the crane was being used on the correct track, and whether the freight and passenger trains were on lines that should have been closed or not. The Dutch Police opened a criminal investigation into the crash.[4] The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate is coordinating investigations with the OVV, police, Labour Inspectorate, ProRail, DB Cargo, NS, and Royal BAM Group.[5]
The OVV released their conclusions of the investigation into the crash on 15 May 2024.[22] The OVV said that the Dutch government focused too much on keeping lines open above the safety of maintenance crews. Although no definitive cause was established, it was noted that at Voorschoten maintenance workers had to cross railway lines open to traffic to reach their worksite.[23]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Een dode en meerdere zwaargewonden bij treinongeluk Voorschoten" [One dead and several seriously injured in Voorschoten train accident] (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Zwaar beschadigde goederenlocomotief treinongeluk Voorschoten weggesleept" [Severely damaged freight locomotive from train accident Voorschoten towed away] (in Dutch). MP Produktie. 6 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Goederentrein botste eerst op kraan, NS-trein botste daarna op kraan of brokstukken" [Freight train first collided with crane, NS train then collided with crane or debris]. nos.nl (in Dutch). 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Criminal probe in train derailment crash that left maintenance worker dead". NL Times. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b c "Freight train that hit crane first was likely on right track, ProRail CEO says". NL Times. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Jessuran, Jules (5 April 2023). "Hoe hard reden de treinen? Vijf vragen over het ongeluk bij Voorschoten" [How fast was the train going? Five questions about the accident at Voorschoten] (in Dutch). NOS Nieuws. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ a b c "Train derails after crashing into construction crane in Voorschoten; One killed, 30 hurt". NL Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b "DB Cargo: machinist goederentrein botsing Voorschoten in orde" [DB Cargo: train driver in freight train collision at Voorschoten is okay] (in Dutch). Transport Online. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Dode en tientallen gewonden en ontsporing bij treinongeval Voorschoten" [Dead and several wounded by train derailment at Voorschoten] (in Dutch). Regio15. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b ""A terrible accident," Dutch PM says about train derailment; Train driver among injured". NL Times. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Train derailment timeline leaked: Crane was at active railroad earlier than agreed". NL Times. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "No trains between Leiden - The Hague for at least a week after fatal crash; 9 hospitalized". NL Times. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Goederentrein botste eerst op kraan, NS-trein botste daarna op kraan of brokstukken" [Freighter train first hits crane, NS train collides with the crane or debris after]. NOS (in Dutch). 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Construction worker dies, 19 taken to hospital after train collides with crane". Dutch News. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Drie ernstig gewonden treinongeluk nog op intensive care" [Three severely wounded in train accident still in intensive care]. NOS (in Dutch). 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Five victims of Voorschoten train crash still in hospital, one in ICU". NL Times. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "Dutch rail crash: One dead after passenger train derails". BBC News. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Video: Passenger filmed derailed train evacuation; No trains to, from Leiden CS all day". NL Times. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Half of train involved in Voorschoten crash removed today; Strong wind delayed salavage". NL Times. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Treinstellen worden uit weiland weggetakeld in Voorschoten" [Trainsets are towed away from field in Voorschoten] (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Busy holiday rush hour likely, but Leiden-The Hague train running again". NL Times. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Onderhoud aan intensief bereden spoornet moet en kan veiliger" [Maintenance of intensively exposed rail network must and can be safer] (in Dutch). Onderzoeksraad Voor Veiligheid. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Gov't focused more on keeping rail usable during work, not safety in Voorschoten crash". NL Times. Retrieved 15 May 2024.