Accident to person at Malmö freight yard

Summary in English

On 24 April 2025, two track workers were struck by a passenger train at the Malmö freight yard. One of the track workers was killed and the other was seriously injured.

The track workers had been hired to remedy findings from inspections, over the course of one week. The work on the day in question was planned to be performed on the tracks whilst they were open to traffic, with the help of a lookout – i.e. one of the track workers was responsible for alerting the other worker to approaching trains.

Earlier in the day, the workers had mainly worked within an area of the yard where permitted speed was limited to 40 km/h. In the afternoon, the team moved to another area of the yard to check an inspection remark. The remark was located in a switch which was situated on the main line track, where the maximum permitted speed was 160 km/h.

As the train approached the switch, the train driver perceived that there were workers on the track and applied the emergency brake. The track workers did not have time to move out of the way before they were struck by the train.

Causes of the accident

The immediate cause of the accident was that the track workers were present on tracks open for traffic without any planned or implemented protective measures.

Underlying causes were deficiencies in induction, planning and execution of work within the track area. These shortcomings were not identified by the employer, the rail contractor or the infrastructure manager.

At a systemic level, there were deficiencies in how the infrastructure manager followed up on work carried out within the track area and in the management of deviations and incidents.

Safety recommendations

The stakeholders concerned have implemented several measures aimed at enhancing safety and reducing the risk of similar accidents. The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) does not issue recommendations in areas where these measures already address the deficiencies identified in this investigation. Against this background, the following recommendations are issued.

The Swedish Transport Agency is recommended to:

• Conduct supervision of how the Swedish Transport Administration ensures risk control across all tiers of contractors when carrying out work within the railway track area.

The Swedish Transport Administration is recommended to:

• Take measures to enhance safety for work on or near the track and to ensure that the risks associated with such work are systematically followed up within the supervisory process by:
  
  
  • reviewing how the procedures for Protection and Safety planning are applied
    
    
  • strengthening working methods to ensure that the controller of site safety is provided with adequate site-specific knowledge
    
    
  • investigating the extent of work carried out on or near the track without, or with inadequate, risk assessment and taking appropriate action
    
    
  • reviewing and strengthening procedures for workplace inspections
    
    
  • taking measures to strengthen the reporting culture regarding near-misses for work on railway tracks.

• In consultation with the relevant stakeholders, review the existing procedures to ensure that access for emergency services to the yard is satisfactory.
  

Infranord AB is recommended to:

• Review its working methods to ensure that hired personnel have sufficient local knowledge, to strengthen planning so that it serves as more effective support for the controller of site safety and to develop procedures for a more systematic follow-up of planned and completed works.