Local rail operator backs employee charged after Gribskov line crash

Lokaltog has pledged support for an employee charged in connection with the April 23 train collision on the Gribskov line, the Danish operator said in a statement Saturday.

The worker, based at the company’s control center in Hillerød, informed management of the charge. Police have charged two people in total, but Lokaltog said it has not been notified of the second individual’s identity.

Ten people were seriously injured and 12 suffered minor injuries in the crash, which occurred when one train passed a planned stop and a signal before entering a single-track section and colliding with an oncoming train, according to a preliminary report by the Accident Investigation Board. The report found no faults in the signaling system or rolling stock.

On Thursday, staff at the Hillerød control center called in sick, halting all Lokaltog services in the Capital Region. Replacement bus services have been in operation since and will continue through the weekend.

“This is a difficult situation for the employee in question and for the organization as a whole,” said Lars Wrist-Elkjær, Lokaltog’s managing director. “We stand by our employee and are following the case closely.”

Wrist-Elkjær added that the company takes the situation “very seriously” while seeking to maintain calm in the ongoing process. Lokaltog stated it retains full confidence in its staff and is cooperating with authorities.