Crack in wheel caused train derailment

Kiruna A crack in a wheel caused a major derailment on the Malmbanan railway line a year ago and led to a several-month-long stoppage of train traffic on the line.

This is according to the Swedish Accident Investigation Commission in a preliminary statement that the website Järnvägar.nu was the first to report.

- It is a very unusual event. Wheel damage occurs from time to time, but the entire wheel cracking from the track to the hub is extremely unusual, says Mikael Hillbo, head of the investigation at the Swedish Accident Investigation Commission (SHK), to Järnvägar.nu.

The Accident Investigation Commission will publish its final report in March next year.

The derailment caused very extensive damage to the railway. The salvage work of the derailed ore train took several days. 26,000 sleepers had to be replaced between Tornehamn and Vassijaure, a job that took 65 days for the Swedish Transport Administration's contractors.

LKAB and Kaunis Iron lost revenue of SEK 8 billion during the more than two months of repair work on the railway.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com