C1/2003R Three tank wagons derailing at Hamina port on 3 January, 2003

On January 3, 2003 at 19.15 hours, three empty Russian tank wagons derailed at Hamina port, Finland, immediately upon leaving their unloading site. The wagons were designed for carrying of heavy fuel oil. The incident caused no damage to the track or the rolling stock.

The derailment took place when the locomotive started to haul the just formed shunting unit off track 441. The rear bogie of the third last wagon of the unit derailed in an extensive frozen ice area, pulling along the two last wagons of the unit, as well.

In fact steaming had been operated on the unloading site, and the resulting condensation water had frozen on the channel rail construction so as to cover the rail channels and hence cause the wagon to derail.

In order to prevent corresponding incidents in the future, the Accident Investigation Board of Finland recommends that no channel rail structures be adopted in tracks on unloading sites where steaming is implemented in the unloading operations.

C1/2003R Report (pdf, 0.36 Mt)

•Recommendation S185