The December 2023 derailment caused extensive damage to rails, sleepers, and other infrastructure over a 15-kilometer distance.
The two-month stop in traffic also had consequences for the business sector in Northern Norway and Northern Sweden, not least for the mining company LKAB, which sends 10-12 iron ore trains daily in each direction between Narvik and Kiruna. The company reported a loss in revenue of about SEK 100 million per day during the stoppage.
“The Accident Investigation Authority’s conclusions align with our analyses of what happened, and it’s good that we can once and for all determine what caused the derailment. This type of damage is very unusual, and the sector systems along the track did not catch it either,” said Linda Bjurholt, Area Manager for Logistics at LKAB, in a press release.
Bjurholt concurrently emphasized the vulnerability of the Iron Ore Line.
“The consequences of a disruption can be major, no matter the cause. This time, it was a damaged wheel; other times, there were other causes. We live with a one-track railway in an Arctic climate, where weather and wind can complicate repairs. The lack of capacity is a vulnerability for Sweden that must be addressed.”
Another derailment took place in February 2024 with an unloaded iron ore train. The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority has already published the final report for this incident, which stated that hard-packed snow on the track and under the wagons was the direct cause of the derailment.