Report 2013/05
Railway report 2013/05
At 15:04 on Tuesday 21 August 2012, train 521 came very close to hitting a young person wheeling a bicycle across Evja level crossing at Mjøndalen station on the Randsfjord Line. Evja is a level crossing intended for pedestrians and cyclists. The young person in question did not realise a train was coming because she was listening to a music player with earplugs. The train hit the bicycle from the seat backwards, and the cyclist did not suffer any physically injuries. This report is in Norwegian only.
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation JB no 2013/04T
This incident is very similar to the level crossing accident near Hokksund in 2011 and at Viken level crossing near Gjøvik in 2009. The situations are similar, but in this case, we know for certain that the person was listening to music with earplugs, and that visibility was good. This kind of problem with earplugs is a recurring and increasing one, and the Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) believes that greater focus and measures are required to combat the problem.
The AIBN recommends the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate to advise the Norwegian National Rail Administration, in collaboration with other relevant infrastructure managers, to consider whether information campaigns are necessary about the use of earplugs, vigilance and mental alertness in traffic in general.
Facts
| Location | Evja level crossing |
| Occurrence date | 21.08.2012 |
| Train No | 521 |
| Type of Transportation | Passenger train |
| Type of occurrence | Level-crossing accident |
| Rolling Stock | Multippel Unit (MU) |