Railway report 2013/04
At 02:37 on Thursday 31 May 2012, a work train ran through a set of point blades at Godlia crossover track on the Oslo Metro (T-banen). The incident occurred on passing at low speed, and the outcome was therefore limited to minor material damage to the points. The points were not in the correct position due to a fault in a point machine. Oslo T-banedrift AS has defined point machines as safety-critical components, and state that 'faults in point machines can lead to a major disaster'. The work train was the first to use the diverging path after the points had been cleared for operation on 4 May 2012, approximately four weeks previously. At that time, the Godlia crossover track had been closed since May 2005.
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation JB no. 2013/03T
The points that were run through at Godlia on 31 May 2012 could have caused a railway accident. Necessary control and testing of the points had not been carried out before clearance was granted for their use. The infrastructure entity has an extensive management and control system, which includes several different documents describing how point machines are to be tested and inspected, and routine maintenance procedures include detailed checklists for inspection and audits of point machines. The basis for testing following repairs and replacements must be prepared in each individual case and contains little information about what should be tested and the purpose of the testing.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority follow up to ensure that Oslo T-banedrift AS adjust and simplify the existing instructions and procedures relating to inspection and testing of Safety marked activities, to ensure that all necessary inspection and testing are carried out both in projects and in connection with ordinary maintenance.
Facts
| Location | Godlia Subway Station |
| Occurrence date | 31.05.2012 |
| Train No | Arbeidstog |
| Type of Transportation | Working engine |
| Type of occurrence | Infrastructure events |