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Here’s the sight the railroad Bjørn Løne fears the most in Finse this Easter: people crossing the train lines outside the marked transition.
Skiers on their way through the slopes at Finse. – Dangerous to life, says experienced railroad man Bjørn Løne. Photo: Bjørn Løne, Spordrift AS
– It is a threat to life. Modern trains are getting faster and quieter. They can pass the Finse station at 70-80 kilometers per hour. When you see the train, it may be too late to save yourself, says Bjørn Løne.
Took the photo around New Years.
A couple of weeks ago he saw a similar case:
The man had crossed the train track on his skis, but the lady was hesitant. Instead, he walked along the train track in the direction of the controlled light transition. But walking along the train track can be at least as dangerous, says Løne.
– Take a great chance
Bjørn Løne is a snow coordinator at Spordrift AS and has spent a total of 26 winters at Finse resort.
The snow coordinator’s job is to monitor weather, wind, and avalanche hazard, and coordinate snow removal on the mountain to keep the railroad open.
In Finse he has seen many dangerous situations.
– My impression is that people who cross the railroad outside the marked crossing even think that they are in full control. What you may not remember is that, in addition to passenger trains, five freight trains cross in each direction in the course of a day. Those who cross the railroad outside the marked area are at great risk, says Løne.
– How should skiers behave when they want to cross the train track?
– In Finse, it is important to use the level crossing to the west of Finse station. It’s regulated by both light and sound, says Løne.
Traces of dangerous crossing of the railway line east of Finse. Photo: Håkon Eggen, Spordrift AS
Not allowed
– But what if you want to cross the train track outside the station?
– If you are going to pass the train tracks, you must do so at a level crossing, or where there is a road above or below the track. Crossings in other places pose a danger and are not allowed, says Løne.
During his many years at Finse, he has also witnessed accidents between trains and skiers.
In Bane Nor’s internal synergy reports, the following two near misses are described on the eastern stretch of Finse.
«Skier with sled crosses the track between Ustaoset and Haugastøl. The skier barely manages to get to safety, but the sled gets off the train. Fortunately, the sled only contains provisions. “
– Can’t walk away
In the section between Ål and Haugastøl, the following near miss is described:
“The 601 train came very close to running over a couple who were skiing on the track with their backs to the train. (…) The driver gave the signal “the train is coming” several times before the skiers noticed the train and got off the track. The train was then so close to the skiers that the driver was sure he would ride them. When the train stopped, the skiers had disappeared. The relationship strongly affected the driver. “
Bjørn Løne points out that trains outside the station can run up to 160 kilometers per hour.
– And freight trains can arrive at any time, even off the beaten track. They can pass up to a kilometer stopping, and you can’t turn around, says Løne.
