On Thursday afternoon, there was a train derailment between Bjerka and Finneidfjord in Hemnes municipality. Locomotive driver Rolf Henry Ankersen (60) died in the accident. In addition, three people were transported to hospital and one to emergency room. They are not life-threateningly injured. 49 people were on board the train when it derailed. Photo: Marilee Goulet and Tonje Vonstad / TV Klipp But the train derailment has also led to major traffic challenges. The locomotive is located outside on the E6. The weather conditions mean that geologists have not yet opened to start moving the train. And E6 will likely remain closed for a long time. Will be closed throughout the weekend – We will receive a new assessment by Monday at 12 on the road whether it can be opened or not, traffic operator Brita Bjerkli to news. This means that E6 will probably be closed throughout the weekend. The ferry that connects Norway between South and North now crosses the Ranfjord on county road 17, also known as Kystriksveien. Bjerkli says that the locomotive to be removed is very heavy. Before the tow trucks come in, they must therefore be sure that the ground is safe. That is what the geologists will give the green light for. – There is a lot of uncertainty as to whether the train will continue to run. That’s why you can’t go in and work there, says Øystein Stavdal Paulsen, press officer at Bane Nor. Those who drive themselves Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news In Norway there is only one possible detour. It runs through the Levang-Nesna ferry connection. But there is a lot of traffic on this ferry port. – We cannot take people away from there. The ferry company has called us and told us that they are having major problems with handling the traffic, says Bjerkli. There is chaos both at the ferry site and in the center of Nesna after the ferry site in Nesna became the only possibility to get north in Norway. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news Nordland county council recommends that those who cannot travel stay at home. – According to our people, it is now so bad that traffic is dangerous in the center of Nesna. We ask people to take it easy, says communications manager Anna Brandal to news. They are now working with the municipality and trying to get the fire brigade or others to direct the traffic. At Nesna, there has been a lot of traffic and chaos, according to Nordland county council. Photo: Hanne Davidsen These are the detour options on the E6 The detour options are either with Fylkesvei 819 and Fylkesvei 17 via Nesna. The Nesna-Levang ferry service runs 24/7. Expect queues and long waiting times, avoid the stretch if you can, urges the Swedish Road Administration. In addition, Torghatten reports major delays on the route, and that further delays must be expected throughout the day. An alternative route is across Umbukta via Sweden and down into Hattfjelldal. There are customs restrictions here. The Swedish Road Administration asks road users to carefully consider whether their journey can be postponed. The E6 past the accident site will be closed for a long time. It is uncertain when the road will reopen. Ferry captain: – A hectic day What binds Norway together between South and North is now the “Vardehorn” ferry. Captain Jon Olsen is in the wheelhouse. The queue is on both sides of the ferry berth. – It has been hectic and a lot of traffic from both sides of the Ranfjord between Nesna and Levang, he says to news. Captain Jon Olsen on the ferry Vardehorn, which runs between Nesna and Levang on county road 17, says it has been hectic for the crew, but that they have nevertheless prioritized safety. Photo: Marius Eriksen Guttormsen / news Ferga has been running all night, and will continue this way until Saturday night. On Sunday, a new assessment will be made. – The challenge is to speed up loading and unloading. We must always prioritize working in a safe way. That is why we are always late for the route, says Olsen. According to him, it is mostly heavy traffic such as semi-trailers and lorries that take up space on the ferry. It has been busy days for the employees on the ferry. Day and night there have been people at work to get people across the Ranfjord. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news Veitrafikksentralen recommends driving around Sweden if you have the opportunity. There is a detour of 27 miles. But if you are going through Sweden, you have to go through customs. – There is an arrangement for those who drive wagon trains if they drive in at Krutfjellet to Umbukta. They must not drive past the toll station, says traffic operator Brita Bjerkli. She recommends people follow the traffic on 175.no or the Vegvesenet traffic app. – Had to change the itinerary in a short time Alf Marius Håland is one of those who stayed for a long time at the ferry berth on the way south in the country. He is a teacher, and with him in the car he had several folk high school students who were going to Lovund to record music there. – We had to improvise a little on the itinerary and got a little worse time. It was between traveling for 10 hours and 4 hours, says Håland. Alf Marius Håland and two cars full of folk high school students had to change the route in a short time when they realized that the E6 was closed for a long time. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news Long-haul driver Tom Mathisen was actually going from Trondheim to Fauske. Because of the accident, he had to change his load and rearrange his entire driving route. – The first thing I thought of after the accident was that it was tragic. Secondly, there was a bit of irritation about what this entails in terms of delays. I was actually supposed to be at Fauske last night, he says. Long-haul driver Tom Mathisen is grateful for the work the ferry crew has done, despite the fact that he may be coming home a week late. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news – In the worst case, I won’t get home until next weekend. Nevertheless, he says that he and all his colleagues at the union agree that things must take the time they take. – I am very impressed that the crew and shipping company have stepped in to find solutions, says Mathisen. Published 25/10/2024, at 17.00 Updated 25.10.2024, at 18.41
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Without the Nesna-Levang ferry, the country would have been split in two after the train accident in Hemnes – news Nordland
