Jyväskylä rail crash

Infobox rail accident
title = Jyväskylä rail crash
date = March 6, 1998
13:49 EET (11:49 UTC)


location = Jyväskylä, Finland
coordinates = coord|62.237|N|25.745|E|
line = Orivesi–Jyväskylä track
cause = Overspeeding through turnout
trains = VR express train P105 with Sr1 locomotive
pax = 500
deaths = 10
injuries = 94The Jyväskylä rail crash occurred on March 6, 1998 in Jyväskylä, Finland when the Sr1-driven express train P105 from Turku bound for Joensuu via Pieksämäki derailed. Of the 500 on board, the driver and nine passengers were killed, and 94 passengers were injured. An estimate of the total cost of the accident was 22 million FIM (3,7 million euros).cite web |url= http://www.onnettomuustutkinta.fi/2511.htm |title= Train accident at Jyväskylä on March 6, 1998. A 1/1998 R |accessdate= 2008-08-16 |format= HTML, PDF |work= |publisher= Accident Investigation Board, Finland |language= Finnish, abstract in English ]

Overview

The accident was caused by a human error in interpreting signals. The train derailed because of overspeeding in a switch that had temporarily been set to a diverging track. The locomotive and eight cars fell down on the railway yard and the locomotive was thrown some convert|50|m away from the track.

A new schedule had reserved track 3 for the train's arrival, instead of the previous track 1. Track 3 was entered through a so-called short switch, with a maximum speed of convert|35|km/h|abbr=on. Track 1 used a long switch, speed limit convert|80|km/h|abbr=on. It was judged from the event recorder data that the driver had misinterpreted the signals and was prepared to enter track 1 at 80 km/h.

Similar accidents

* Milton rail crash – overspeed through turnout
* Bourne End rail crash – overspeed through turnout
* Goswick rail crash – overspeed through turnout
* Brühl train disaster – overspeed through turnout
* Jokela rail crash‎ – overspeed through turnout
* Waterfall rail accident – overspeed through sharp curve

References