Train with around 1,000 tonnes of ore derailed near Narvik – news Nordland

Around 3pm on Sunday, an ore train derailed the Ofotbanen just before the entrance to Narvik station. – There is a fully loaded ore train on its way to Narvik. There are about 10–12 wagons that have derailed. There is approximately 100 tonnes of ore in each of those wagons, so it is an extensive cleaning job, says Bane Nor’s press officer, Harry Korslund. Based on previous experience, Korslund also believes that there may be damage to the train tracks, but the extent of this is too early to say anything about. Korslund says that there is currently no theory as to what caused the derailment. The derailment has consequences for goods and passenger transport in addition to ore transport. Photo: Kjetil Moe – What are the consequences of this derailment? – It is a little too early to say anything about how long-lasting the consequences will be, but the derailment will have consequences for passenger traffic, ore traffic and other goods traffic on the Ofot line in the future. Ofotbanen is a railway line between Narvik and the Swedish border. On the Swedish side, Malmbanan continues down to Lulelå. The railway is the country’s busiest, where the ore trains from the mines in Kiruna make up most of the traffic. The line is also important for the transport of goods between Northern Norway and Southern Norway. The Ofot line runs from Narvik to the Swedish border. On the Swedish side, Malmbanan goes via Kiruna and down to Luleå. Korslund says it is too early to say anything about the duration of the clean-up work. – There, the duration will be determined by the extent of the improvements that we have to make. No injuries have been reported as a result of the derailment, says Bane Nor. The ore train belongs to the Swedish company LKAB. news has been in contact with general manager Marit Walleniussen in LKAB Norway. – The locomotive is still on the tracks, but a number of wagons have derailed and some have overturned. It was a fully loaded train on its way from Kiruna to Narvik with ore, she says. The company will not carry out any clean-up until the cause of the derailment has been clarified. The ore train belongs to the Swedish company LKAB. Photo: Kjetil Moe



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