Collision near Aegviidu

The Technical Surveillance Inspectorate started investigation to determine the circumstances of a freight and electric passenger train collision that took place today (23 December 2010) at 2.47 AM nearby Aegviidu in northern Estonia.
According to the preliminary information collected by the Technical Surveillance Authority, the accident did not happen due to the violation of requirements for traffic control processes. It is also known that all the traffic control equipment was working properly and the railway infrastructure was in good state. The investigators have also become aware that the electric train did not start moving on its own, as it is not possible to achieve 70 km/h driving speed without applying traction force on the short distance between the initial location of the electric train ad the accident site. There are also other preconditions that can be filled only by human intervention in order to move the train.

As of today, the investigators believe that the accident was caused by the violation of train traffic rules by the driver of the train. The reasons for such violation are being determined by the police.

The Technical Surveillance Authority continues to investigate the accident in order to be sure that no traffic control or rolling stock exploitation requirements have been violated.

As the train traffic on the Kehra-Aegviidu railway section has been suspended, trains will be out of schedule for at least 24 hours. A part of the traffic will hopefully be restored already today. The Technical Surveillance Authority kindly asks all the passengers to follow information provided by telephone hotline 1447 and on the web sites of the passenger train companies www.edel.ee and www.elektriraudtee.ee.

Tonight took place a collision between a freight train and a passenger train in Aegviidu. Two persons were injured and one killed.

Source: Delfi