Updated 13.15 | Published 12.37
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For 65 days, the Malmbanan stood still.
After five days of rolling, the track derailed again.
“Extremely unfortunate in every conceivable way, it affects a lot of people,” says Petter Jonsson at the Swedish Transport Administration.
During Saturday evening, an unloaded ore train derailed on the Malmbanan. This means that the track is at a standstill again after just under five days.
The Swedish Transport Administration is currently inspecting a stretch of approximately six kilometers north of the former derailment area in Vassijaure, they write in a press release.
– What we know at the moment is that we have damage to the railway facility on a stretch between Katterjokk and Vassijaure. So not on the part that we restored in the last two months. We have found damage to the rails, sleepers and catenary, says Simon Sunna, head of railway section, Swedish Transport Administration.
During the next 24 hours, the Swedish Transport Administration will work intensively to assess the extent of the damage.
During Monday afternoon, they will be able to give an updated picture of the scope, says Petter Jonsson, press communicator at the Swedish Transport Administration.
– It is extremely unfortunate in every conceivable way. It affects a lot of people. We don’t yet know what caused the derailment, but are currently trying to form an idea of how extensive the damage is, says Petter Jonsson.
– What we know is that we have damaged sleepers, rails and catenary, at least one switch is also damaged. There are seven wagons that have derailed.
According to the press release, whether the latest derailment will be handled by the National Accident Commission has not been determined at the moment.