Europe: Search the European Rail Agency’s accident database

The European Rail Agency (ERA) hosts the ERADIS (European Railway Agency Database of Interoperability and Safety) which is now starting to be a really useful source of information on both accidents but also the outcome of accident investigation. Although the basis of reporting varies between the member states, plus Switzerland and Norway, it is a destination that should appear on favourite lists of anyone wanting to understand the parallels and learn from their peers across Europe.

The backdrop to ERADIS is Articles 19-25 of the Safety Directive which outline the requirements for the investigation and reporting of accidents and incidents on the railway. Member States are required to notify ERA of accident investigations and to submit copies of the accident investigation report when complete. The responsibility for this activity lies with an Independent Investigation body within each of the Member States. The reports received are published by ERA.

Some investigation bodies investigate and chose to report to ERA a much wider range of incidents and accidents than those required by the Safety Directive with a view to sharing lessons learned from accidents at a European level. ERA encourages such reporting.  Consequently reports are not intended for statistical use but for information on the causal factors in accidents and on the recommendations issued to the National Safety Authorities.

To explore ERADIS go to: http://pdb.era.europa.eu/safety_docs/naib/default.aspx

University Park, Illinois: Crossing signal not working at time of fatal accident

A motorist died when the car in which she was travelling was struck by a train on a level crossing that was inoperative. The accident occurred on the Stuenkel Road level crossing, which is equipped with warning lights and barriers, in University Park on April, 16th, 2010. Witnesses have said that the lights did not activate and that the barriers only descended when the train had almost cleared the level crossing.

Canadian National (CN) has confirmed that the level crossing was not functioning correctly at the time of the accident. CN has also confirmed that it maintenance staff working in the vicinity at the time of the accident. However, an investigation is on-going to determine whether the activities being undertaken by the maintenance staff was material to the level crossing failing to work as intended.