Report on serious railway incident, Hovedbanen, Alnabru shunting yard 29 April 2016
Railway report 2017/01
On Friday 29 April 2016, at 03:30 at night, two trains belonging to GreenCargo AB collided at Alnabru shunting yard. One of the trains was what is known as a shunting stock, which in this context means freight cars that are being transported by a shunting locomotive to be parked or made up into a complete train. The other train was a freight train coming from Bergen. The collision occurred when the freight train was on its way in to park on the track next to the shunting stock. The shunting stock was about to park 18 cars, and backed too far so that it hit the freight train at the run-off point between the two tracks. The tracks at the place of the incident are not equipped with a signalling system, and it is Bane NOR SF’s local traffic controller who controls train movements in the area. The recommended practice at Alnabru is that the local traffic controller notifies the shunting personnel of incoming trains, so that they can stop the shunting operation. This was not done in the case in question. Because there is no technical barrier in the form of a signalling system to prevent collisions, operational barriers are necessary. The Accident Investigation Board Norway submits a safety recommendation to the effect that Bane NOR SF should consider whether the recommended practice should become fixed instructions.
Photo: AIBN
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation JB No 2017/01T
On Friday 29 April 2016, a shunting stock backed into the side of an incoming freight train at Alnabru. The tracks at the scene of the incident are not equipped with a signaling system. Bane NOR SF has specific instructions for how to manage train and shunting routes in this area. In addition, there exists a recommended practice for the local traffic controller at Alnabru that contains work procedures for how to avoid collisions.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority ensure that Bane NOR SF has sufficient barriers against collisions in areas that do not have a signaling system.
Facts
| Location | Alnabru shunting yard |
| Occurrence date | 29.04.2016 |
| Train No | 5544 |
| Type of Transportation | Freight train, Shunting |
| Type of occurrence | Collision |
| Rolling Stock | Freight wagon |