Rail agencies dispute responsibility after Øresund train strands passengers

Responsibility for evacuating passengers from a train stranded for three hours in the Øresund corridor is being disputed by Danish and Swedish rail bodies, DR reports.

The train stopped between Peberholm and Copenhagen Central Station last Monday evening because of problems with the power supply. Passengers waited without lights, toilets or air conditioning, and received no information about what would happen next.

Swedish traffic authority Trafikverket says Danish rail company Banedanmark was responsible for the incident. Banedanmark says the incident did not take place on its infrastructure or involve its trains, and points to the Øresund Bridge company’s responsibility for the overall emergency plan for incidents in the tunnel.

Banedanmark says the train operator is responsible for arranging an evacuation if one is needed. The Øresund Bridge company says incidents must be handled by several parties and that last week’s incident was managed by Banedanmark and train operator VR.

Banedanmark on the Danish side and Trafikverket on the Swedish side are responsible for traffic management and power supply management on behalf of the Øresund Bridge company, it says. Train operators are responsible for handling incidents on board and decide whether to request an evacuation. No evacuation took place on Monday evening.

DR says it is seeking comment from VR.