Sloterdijk train collision

On 21 April 2012, two trains collided head-on at Westerpark, near Sloterdijk, in the west of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The collision occurred at 18:30 local time (16:30 UTC). One person was killed, and 116 people were injured. The collision is thought to have been caused by the driver of one of the trains having passed a signal at red.


In the early evening a local train had just left Amsterdam Centraal and collided with a double-decker Intercity train on the same line. Initial reports estimated 33 to nearly 125 people were injured and up to 20 of them seriously. A member of the fire service later increased this to 56. This was later reduced to 117 injuries (13 critical, 43 or 44 serious, less than 60 minor). On 22 April, a 68-year-old woman died from her injuries. There were sixteen people still in hospital. Amsterdam's mayor, Eberhard van der Laan, lamented "Our thoughts go out to her family. We wish them lots of strength after this terrible loss".
The trains involved were a NS Class 2600 electric multiple unit, number 2658 and a NS Class 8700 double-deck electric multiple unit, number 8711. Neither of the two trains derailed. Passengers were reported to have been smashed against walls, seats, window frames and other passengers. Photographs show that the Class 8700 unit received moderate damage, with deformation at the rear of the first and front of the second carriage.
The accident occurred between Amsterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Sloterdijk stations, near Westerpark, suspending railway services between Amsterdam and The Hague as well as to Schiphol Airport on one of the busiest rail routes in the Netherlands. The local train was travelling between Amsterdam and Uitgeest whilst the Intercity train was travelling between Den Helder and Nijmegen. By Sunday afternoon, traffic was partially restored with a full service expected by the evening. The stretch of line where the accident occurred is where trains do not travel at full speed.
Ik vrees dat ik een rood sein heb gemist.
I fear that I have missed a red light.
- Driver of the class 2600 train.
Although the cause of the accident has not been officially determined, a reporter from de Volkskrant was travelling on the Class 2600 train, immediately behind the cab. He reported that the driver of that train said that she feared that she had just missed a red signal.


Emergency response


Emergency services were swiftly on the scene. Many people were rescued from the train wreckage either by using cranes or being placed in a protective wrap and carried out on stretchers. A trauma helicopter was used to take some of the people to a nearby hospital. Many of the injured were treated on a bridge nearby. Those that had only minor injuries were taken to an Amsterdam hotel. People were reported with broken bones and neck injuries.

Investigations


Two separate investigations are being carried out into whether the train collision was by human error or by a technical fault on one of the trains. By 22 April, the damaged trains had been towed away by locomotives allowing technicians to inspect the track for damage. The director of Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Bert Meerstadt, said it was still too early to speculate the cause and it was best to await the conclusion of the investigations. The Onderzoeksraad Voor Veiligheid is conducting one of the investigations, whilst the other is being conducted by the Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT). The data recorders were recovered from both trains.
The fact that the driver may have passed a signal at danger has been included in the ILT's investigation. However, Transport Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen has said to await further investigations to see if the initial findings can be confirmed.