Four runaway two-level carriages that separated from a intercity train crashed into hotel at the Helsinki Railway station early Monday. A train conductor who had been in the carriage at the
time of the incident got light injuries to his arm.
The accident happened around 8:00 a.m. at local time. The train was reversing in the station, when two-level four carriages became detached. The
accident was apparently caused by faulty brakes on the vehicle. Train workers were aware of the malfunction and warned persons standing on
platform to be on the alert for a possible collision before directing the runaway train carriages to platform 13.
Platform 13 was selected for the emergency stop as it was felt that a concrete barrier would slow down the careening carriages. However the
carriages traveled a further 10 metres through the buffer before crashing into the wall of the Holiday Inn Hotel at the end of the platform and
climbed up the hotel wall to the base of the third floor. Emergency officials are currently investigating the damage caused to the building.
The accident disrupted rail traffic at the Helsinki Railway terminal between 8:30 and 9:30 Monday morning. Officials were however able to restore rail service and power to the terminal, except for tracks 11 and 13. Officials estimate that repairs to tracks 11 and 13 will be completed by Monday evening.