Fatal Sønderjylland train crash remains unexplained a year later

A year after a train collided with a slurry transport in Sønderjylland, the Danish Accident Investigation Board has yet to publish its final report, DR reported. One woman was killed and two people were seriously injured in the crash.

The collision happened at 4.46pm on 15 August last year, when a train carrying around 100 passengers struck a truck and slurry trailer near Bjerndrup, a village between Tinglev and Sønderborg.

A 60-year-old woman died. The train driver and truck driver were seriously injured, while 24 passengers suffered minor injuries. In total, 106 people were involved in the accident.

The crash took place at a railway crossing without barriers but equipped with light and sound signals. The Accident Investigation Board has been examining what went wrong, but its final report is not yet ready.

Jakob Ravn from Sønderborg was travelling in the second carriage when the train collided with the slurry transport. He was thrown around inside the train but escaped unharmed.

Although he has moved on with his life, Ravn said he wanted a final conclusion.

“I feel I have a good idea of what happened, but I would like either to have that confirmed or to be told that I am completely wrong,” he said. “We can only hope that the report comes soon so we can close the chapter.”

The investigation has been delayed in part by several other railway accidents. Seven weeks before the Bjerndrup crash, on 5 July, a train struck a 24-year-old man who was crossing the tracks in a van nearby, killing him.

On 23 April this year, two local trains collided on the Gribskovbanen railway in North Zealand, injuring 22 people.

“It is not unusual for our investigations to take more than a year,” said Klaus Jensen, head of the railway unit at the Accident Investigation Board.

Under Danish law, a report must be published as soon as possible after an incident and normally no later than 12 months later. If that is not possible, the board must issue a status update on each anniversary. It published that update on Friday morning.

The board has collected extensive data and interviewed many people. Investigators are examining information indicating that the crossing system may have activated prematurely, including whether the crossing had experienced unusually frequent faults and whether similar systems on the Sønderborg railway line had functioned properly.

Jensen said the board expects to complete its report by the end of 2026. He stressed that the report will not assign blame or responsibility, as that falls under the police investigation.

The driver of the slurry transport was charged in the spring with, among other offences, negligent manslaughter. It has not yet been decided whether he will be prosecuted.

“I do not think anyone benefits from it taking so long. I think we all need to close this chapter,” Ravn said.