Sick leave surges among train drivers after April collision

A sharp rise in sick leave among train drivers has forced Lokaltog to operate an emergency timetable with fewer services since an April crash on the Gribskov line, according to an internal company memo obtained by DR.

The Danish rail operator reported up to 27 drivers calling in sick on a single day, combining both short- and long-term absences. Among them were the two drivers involved in the April 23 head-on collision that injured 18 people, five seriously.

Lokaltog’s operations director, Stig Allan Nielsen, confirmed the absences have made scheduling “unmanageable at even a tolerable level” but declined to link them directly to the crash. “We can’t attribute causes to individual sick leave reports,” he said.

The company has extended its reduced-service emergency timetable through June 28, with two of the three damaged train sets still out of commission. “One set has returned to service, but the other two won’t be operational again until next year,” Nielsen said, noting the ongoing disruption to Frederiksværk line express and night trains.

Efforts to curb absenteeism include reviewing safety protocols and expanding emergency procedure training, though Nielsen insisted current safety standards remain fully compliant. While sick leave has dipped slightly since peaking in late May, levels remain well above normal.