The situational picture monitors the safety of train traffis. The data are updated once a year. The information is produced by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.
In 2023, there were 21 significant accidents as defined by the EU in Finnish railways, in which four people died and three were seriously injured. The number of significant accidents was higher than in the previous year and was revealed to be higher than the average for the previous ten years when examined over a longer term. As in previous years, passenger safety remained at an excellent level.
Accidents in train traffic
VR Group Plc reported 66 collisions with obstacles and nine fires in rolling stock in train traffic in 2023. The figure shows that collisions of rolling stock with obstacles have clearly increased since 2021. This is likely partially explained by the fact that in recent years train drivers have been requested to actively re-port collisions with banks of snow. There was a change to this growing trend in April 2023, when VR Group Plc agreed that in the future, collisions with snow-banks at level crossings will be reported as level crossing occurrences in the future. As a result, fewer collisions of rolling stock with obstacles were reported in 2023 than in previous years.
In 2023, there were nine fires in rolling stock in train traffic, two of which were classified as significant accidents. The yearly number of fires in rolling stock has remained at a nearly identical level in recent years. During the five years preceding 2023, an average of ten fires in rolling stock occurred per year. Fires in rolling stock typically start in the locomotive engine rooms, wagon brakes or passenger carriages’ heating equipment.
In 2023, there were three collisions between rolling stock and two derailments in train traffic. Three of these cases were classified as significant railway accidents due to the resulting costs (over EUR 150,000). The first of these was a collision of freight trains in Tampere on 20 September 2023, which is under investigation by the Safety Investigation Authority. In the accident in question, the last wagon of a freight train collided with the wagons of another freight train, resulting in the derailment of several wagons. The second accident occurred on 30 November 2023 in Tampere, where the locomotive and the bogie of the first wagon of a freight train were derailed. This incident is also under investigation by the Safety Investigation Authority. (The case in question is not included in the numbers presented in above figure, as the operator involved in the incident was Fenniarail Oy). The third accident occurred on 8 December 2023 in Imatra, where a freight train was derailed due to a stop block that had been left on the track.
In addition to the above, there were two collisions between rolling stock units. Both collisions occurred when the train rolled backwards and hit the cab of the train behind it.
Incidents in train traffic
Accidents in train traffic are rare, which means that random variations play a major role in their yearly numbers. As a result, the development of the yearly number of accidents is not the best indicator for the development of safety in the short term. Incidents occur more frequently than accidents, which means that monitoring their number and severity makes it possible to obtain a clearer picture of the safety development trends than when looking at accidents. However, it is important to note that a change in the yearly number of reported incidents may indicate not only changes in the safety situation but also in the culture of reporting occurrences.
In 2023, there were 76 incidents in accordance with the EU Common Safety Indicators (External link) in Finnish railways. The total number of incidents was very similar to the previous year (79 in 2022).
In 2023, there were 21 cases of signal passed at danger in train traffic. The number was slightly higher than in the previous year but lower than in the years preceding it. Between 2018 and 2022, the average number of annual cases of signal passed at danger was 33, and before that (2014–2017), the corresponding figure was 51. This means that the number of cases of signal passed at danger in train traffic has decreased clearly in recent years. The factors that have contributed to the reduction are not known. These incidents typically occur at low speeds, and the automatic train protection (ATP) device stops the rolling stock as soon as the signal has been passed. The risks associated with passing a signal at danger are higher when operating without ATP.
In 2023, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency was notified about 38 broken rails and 16 track buckles. The number of broken rails decreased by ten from the previous year, and the track buckle rates were highly similar to the previous year. In this context, it should be noted that a large annual variation has been identified in the reporting of track buckles and other track geometry errors. There may be errors in the classification of cases, and it is not certain if all cases have been reported as safety occurrences. Therefore, caution should be exercised considering the annual numbers of geometry errors and changes in the numbers.
In 2023, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency had several measures in place to reduce broken rails. As in previous years, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency organised welding days to improve the quality of welds, and maintenance also enhanced its supervision of matters related to welding. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency also required contractors carrying out rail welding to have a certified welding quality system in accordance with ISO 3834-2. Two development projects were also ongoing: 1) systematic collection and investigation of broken rails initiated at the beginning of 2021, in which the broken surfaces were examined to collect data on the causes of rail breakage and the necessary corrective measures taken; and 2) a development project launched in 2022 that involved developing an ultrasonic testing device to produce reliable information on rail condition for both contractors and the Finnish Transport Infra-structure Agency. In addition to the aforementioned measures, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency aimed to prevent the occurrence of train buckles caused by hot weather through instructions developed for service providers and contractors.