Hermalle-sous-Huy railway accident
The railway accident at Hermalle-sous-Huy [ ɛʁˌmalsuˈwi: ] occurred on June 5, 2016 on the railway line from Namur to Liège near Hermalle-sous-Huy ( Engis municipality ) in Belgium . A passenger train of the National Society of Belgian Railways (SNCB / NMBS) ran into a freight train, killing three people.
Starting position
Infrastructure
Regional and intercity trains run in mixed operation with freight trains on line 125 . It connects Namur station with Liège-Guillemins station for more than 60 kilometers , is double-track throughout, is electrified with 3 kV direct current and is approved for a maximum speed of 120 km / h. Contrary to statements made to the public that the Belgian standard train protection system TBL 1+ has been installed nationwide since the end of 2015 , this has probably only happened with around 75% of the signals. The signal that the train passed in the “stop” position was not equipped to trigger its automatic braking device .
There had been strong thunderstorms on the day of the accident. On the line, a lightning strike caused disruption to three track circuits . Technicians were then assigned to rectify the faults. In the meantime, the operational guidelines for operation in case of faulty track vacancy detection systems were applied. The first malfunction was resolved around 8:50 p.m., the second around 10 p.m. The third track circuit was still disrupted at the time of the accident, which is why the freight train had to stop.
Trains
A freight train, a block train consisting of bulk freight wagons of the type Falns , was en route to Aachen West in Germany . The wagons of the freight train were registered with Groupe Ermewa and loaded with products from a quarry . The freight train moved at 12 or 13 km / h.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/SNCB_EMU560_R01_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-SNCB_EMU560_R01_%28cropped%29.jpg)
A passenger train consisting of two three-part multiple units of the NMBS / SNCB series AM 96 was en route to Liers . About 40 people were on the train, including numerous students on the way to Liège. The speed of the passenger train was around 88 km / h.
the accident
The passenger train hit the freight train at around 11:03 p.m. at Hermalle-sous-Huy between the stations of Engis (route km 15.3) and Haute-Flône (route km 21.2). The evaluation of the tachograph showed that the locomotive driver passed a signal showing "stop" without reducing the speed and only began to brake when he came within sight of the freight train.
As a result of the impact, the two front cars of the passenger train derailed and overturned on their side.
Immediate consequences
Three people were killed in the accident , the driver and two passengers. Nine other people were also injured, some seriously. The injured were taken to hospitals in Huy and Liège.
The railway line from Namur to Liège was closed in the area of the accident site. Since disruptions occurred on adjacent routes as a result of the storm, there were numerous train cancellations.
Reactions
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the day after the accident that he wished the injured a speedy recovery and promised to fully clarify the background of the accident. Together with the Belgian King Philippe , he visited the scene of the accident. The Minister of Transport, François Bellot, assured that he had not done any business at the expense of security.
Worth knowing
In Hermalle-sous-Huy there was already a collision between a passenger train and a freight train on July 3, 2008. A railcar NMBS / SNCB series AM 80 collided with a Kalkzug which on entering a siding waited. At that time 64 people were injured, two of them seriously. The cause of the 2008 accident was signal interference and human error on the part of a driver.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Grave accident de trains à Saint-Georges: 3 morts, 9 blessés et "une scène abominable". In: www.lavenir.net. Retrieved June 6, 2016 (fr-fr).
- ^ Lignes SNCB. In: www.belrail.be. Retrieved June 6, 2016 .
- ↑ her / mr: Questions about train protection after the collision in Belgium . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International 8–9 / 2016, p. 406.
- ↑ a b c d Rapport d'Enquête de Sécurité (fr)
- ^ A b Collision de trains: un accident quasiment au même endroit en 2008. In: RTBF Info. June 6, 2016, accessed June 6, 2016 (fr-fr).
- ↑ her / mr: Questions about train protection after the collision in Belgium . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International 8–9 / 2016, p. 406.
- ↑ NN: Bestuurder noted dubbel geel light op . In: De Standaard v. June 9, 2016.
- ^ A b c Accident de train à Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse: ce que l'on sait. In: www.levif.be. June 6, 2016, accessed June 6, 2016 .
- ↑ A. Vbb .: L'hommage à Marc De Geyter, conducteur le du train. In: www.dhnet.be. Retrieved June 12, 2016 .
- ^ Collision de train à Hermalle-sous-Huy: plusieurs trains IC ne circulent plus dans la région. In: newsmonkey. June 6, 2016, accessed June 6, 2016 .
- ↑ La Voix du Nord: Accident de trains en Belgique: trois morts et neuf blessés, la piste des orages évoquée. In: La Voix du Nord. Retrieved June 6, 2016 .
- ^ Accident de train en Belgium: le roi sur place. In: Boursorama. Retrieved June 6, 2016 .
- ↑ lesoir.be: François Bellot sur la collision ferroviaire: "On n'a pas fait d'économies sur la sécurité». In: lesoir.be. Retrieved June 7, 2016 .
- ↑ Rapport d'enquête Collision frontale entre deux trains; Le 03 july 2008 à Hermalle sous Huy (fr)
Coordinates: 50 ° 33 ′ 40 ″ N , 5 ° 20 ′ 37 ″ E