R2020-01 Level-crossing accident in Mänttä-Vilppula on 14 May 2020

At 11.12 p.m. on Thursday 14 May 2020, a tractor pulling a manure spreader collided with the side of a rail bus on the passive Kulmala level crossing in Mänttä-Vilppula, on the track section between Orivesi and Haapamäki. The rail bus had departed for Haapamäki from Vilppula station on schedule. While approaching the Kulmala level crossing, the train driver noticed a vehicle moving under tree cover on the road to the left of the track. The tractor approaching the level crossing came into view just before the rail bus entered the level crossing. The train driver flashed the rail bus lights at the tractor but did not have time to brake. The speed of the rail bus was 100 km/h when the tractor collided with its left side. The collision ruptured the rail bus’s fuel tank and the diesel oil gushing out of the tank ignited immediately. After the collision, the train stopped approximately 300 metres from the level crossing.

The train driver and passengers escaped without injury. The tractor driver suffered minor injuries. The rail bus was badly damaged in the collision and the ensuing fire. The tractor was destroyed beyond repair by the collision. The total costs caused by the accident were estimated at over €2 million. Oil and diesel fuel were spilled into the environment due to the accident. Polluted oily soil was removed from an area of approximately ten square meters between the level crossing and a ditch running next to it. A detrimental element study of the soil revealed no need for further measures or monitoring.

The tractor driver’s fatigue, familiarity with the route, blind spots and reflections in the tractor’s cabin, and the tractor’s features all contributed to the driver not noticing the train or stopping before the level crossing. Road users commonly make mistakes like this at level crossings, especially if the crossing is familiar.

The collision with the rail bus’s side started a fire because it damaged the fuel tank, batteries and switchboard at the same time. The risk of a collision from the side had not been taken into account in the placement and shielding of the rail bus’s critical equipment. Neither are such risks addressed in the regulations applying to rolling stock of this type.

The rail bus was evacuated successfully despite the rapid spreading of the fire, because the train driver was able to act, there were few passengers, and some light entered the rail bus from the outside. The train driver plays a crucial role in the evacuation of regional trains with no other crew.

Because the rail bus lost power, all the lights went out and its doors could only be opened with the emergency mechanism. The doors’ emergency opening instructions are difficult to understand, and the drawings on the instruction decal next to the door do not match the actual shapes of the opening switches and handles. Neither does the decal indicate the location of the handles. A passenger who is not familiar with rolling stock may not understand the instructions. The passengers will have to open the doors themselves during an evacuation if the train driver is incapacitated or the train has several cars.

There was a delay in determining the accident location, because the train driver did not use the 112 application to make the emergency call. The engine driver described the location of the accident by referring to the location sign, which was an unfamiliar concept to the ERC operator. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and Emergency Response Centre Administration had not agreed on the use of location signs for locating the scenes of railway accidents.

To improve the safety of rolling stock, the Safety Investigation Authority recommends that:

1. The European Union Agency for Railways add requirements on protection against side collisions to regulations on diesel trains.

In addition, the Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) ensure the implementation of the following recommendation:

2. VR Group includes evacuation training in its engine driver training program.

3. VR Group replaces the emergency opening instruction decals and ensure the functioning of safety lights on rail buses.

4. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency agrees with the Emergency Response Centre Administration on the use of location signs in railway emergency calls.