Annual report An incident caused by excessive speed
In March 2015, a serious incident occurred in Hyvinkää when a commuter train on the R line from Riihimäki to Helsinki drove to the switch with excessive speed when arriving to the Hyvinkää station. At worst, this serious incident could have led to the train's derailment.
After its investigation, the Safety Investigation Authority (SIA) provided recommendations for improving safety, and their implementation is being monitored by the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi. After its internal investigation, VR Group immediately implemented measures for improving safety and is continuing the assessment of the implementation of the technical recommendations together with Trafi.
The most significant improvement recommendation concerned the automatic train control system, as it was not turned on when the incident occurred, and this enabled the train to drive at an excessive speed. In 2016, a new mode of operation will be put into use and from now on, the automatic train control system will always be turned on. In 2016 and 2017, driver’s cabins will also be fitted with lights that will indicate if the system is not in use.
Immediately after the incident, driver’s cabins were issued with stickers that remind drivers to use the automatic train control system, and the incident was also discussed with drivers in training events. Driver guidelines were updated with e.g. instructions for mobile devices. Their use is now limited to work that requires the use of a phone or tablet.
After the incident, the driver was immediately transferred from their train driver duties as a safety precaution. In January 2016, the District Court of Hyvinkää gave the driver a five-month conditional prison sentence for seriously endangering traffic safety.
