Lack of grease blamed for two Swiss train derailments in 2017
An investigation into the derailment of trains in Lucerne and Basel eight months apart in 2017 states lack of grease on switchers and rails partly to blame.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-Keystone/ac
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board’s investigation into the two derailments ruled out human error in the report released on Thursday. On March 22, 2017 a Eurocity train operated by the Swiss federal railways came off the tracks as it was pulling out of Lucerne’s main rail station, injuring six passengers. The accident shut down Lucerne train station for four-and-a-half days while crews carried out repairs. On November 29, a German train from Hamburg bound for Zurich derailed in Basel station. Nobody was injured but rail service was disrupted for four days.
The report points out similarities between the two accidents especially the fact that they occurred on the same type of double-junction switch. In both cases, the wheel flange – which keeps the wheel on the rail – was on the rail before derailing. In both Basel and Lucerne, the grease film on the wheel flange and rail was missing, as was the case for the switch blades. The report points out that the lack of grease on the rails and switches had contributed significantly to the risk of an accident.
In its first response to the report, the Swiss Federal Railways stated that none of the factors cited alone led to the derailment. It stuck to its original explanation that the derailments were likely the result of a rare chain of events that individually would not have caused the trains to derail. Since the accidents, 45 similar switches have been examined and two switches were changed in Basel and Lucerne and 41 others were modified and stabilised. Switch checks have also been intensified and a project for automatic monitoring of switches has been launched.
More
More
Are Swiss trains becoming less punctual, pricier and more dangerous?
This content was published on
Long known for its efficiency, critics say service on the Swiss Federal Railways is deteriorating. Do they have a point?
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Increase in train drivers missing red lights
This content was published on
Train drivers on average ran through almost one red light a day, according to statistics quoted in SonntagsZeitung. That’s a new record.
Defects found in train carriage doors following fatal accident
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways has identified problems linked to the train type involved in the accident that killed a conductor on August 4.
This content was published on
Two of the eleven people injured when a passenger train in eastern Switzerland was partially derailed by a landslide on Wednesday have now left hospital. Meanwhile, the Graubünden cantonal authorities have opened a probe into the accident.
This content was published on
There is on average one accident every three days at level crossings, according to officials statistics, which have been seen by the SonntagsZeitung.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.