C4/2001R Freight wagon derailing at Oulainen, on 4 March, 2001

On March 4, 2001 at 10.30 a.m. a railway accident took place at Oulainen, Finland. In the accident the front bogie in the 28th wagon of a freight train carrying sheet steel rolls derailed. The train was travelling from Raahe to Hämeenlinna.

The accident was caused by a damaged left bearing in the rear wheelset of the bogie and by the resulting breaking of the axle. The damaged wagon actually travelled on the track over a distance of 23 km after the detaching of the axle-box and the breaking of the axle, until it derailed and finally stopped at a distance of 1,8km.

As a result of the accident 1,8km of track was damaged as well as one wheelset of the derailed wagon. The bogie with the damaged wheelset was removed and reconditioned. After clearance and track repair work, the railway line was ready for traffic operation in 12 hours from the accident. The total costs generated by the accident amounted to about FIM 600 000.

To prevent corresponding accidents the Accident Investigation Board of Finland recommends that the monitoring systems implemented for freight and passenger car bearings be developed. The Board furthermore reiterates its earlier recommendation that alternative measures be adopted in case the hot-box detector is out of operation.

C4/2001R Report (pdf, 0.22 Mt)

•Recommendation S117

•Recommendation S166