Report on fire in locomotive El 14.2188 near Oslo Central Station 29 May 2018, train 5301
Railway report 2019/03
At 08.55 on Tuesday 29 May 2018, an explosion and subsequent fire occurred in the locomotive of train 5301 at the main entry signal to Oslo Central Station.
The train was en route from Alnabru to Drammen, and it was standing by the main entry signal B202 OSL at Brynsbakken. It consisted of locomotive El 14 and four empty car transporter wagons.
As a result of the explosion, the oil in the voltage regulator was atomised and ignited by sparks. This caused an explosive fire that ignited various components in the locomotive’s engine compartment. The train was easily accessible on an open line, and the fire was extinguished by the City of Oslo's fire and rescue service, which quickly arrived at the scene. If an incident of this nature was to occur inside a tunnel, it would take time for the fire and rescue service to initiate extinguishing efforts.
The immediate cause of the incident could not be identified on the basis of an examination of the voltage regulator conducted after the incident.
The AIBN proposes one safety recommendation based on this investigation. The recommendation concerns recommending that CargoNet AS review and document preventive and consequence reduction measures in relation to such incidents.
Photo: NTB/Scanpix
Photo: AIBN
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation JB no 2019/01T
On 21 May 2018, an explosion and subsequent fire occurred in the engine compartment of the El 14 locomotive of freight train 5301. The explosion occurred on an open section of line, but could have happened inside a tunnel or at a station, where the consequences would have been far more serious. There have been several similar incidents with this type of locomotive in the past, and the measures implemented have not been sufficient to resolve the problems.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway recommends that the Norwegian Railway Authority recommend CargoNet AS to review and document preventive and consequence reduction measures in relation to such incidents.
Facts
| Location | Signalpost B202 OSL |
| Occurrence date | 29.05.2018 |
| Train No | 5301 |
| Type of Transportation | Freight train |
| Type of occurrence | Fire and smoke development |
| Rolling Stock | Multippel Unit (MU) |