Derailment of a TER near Rouen: complex lifting operations have begun

Giant cranes began on Tuesday to lift a first car from the train which derailed near Rouen at the end of last week and will continue their work this Wednesday. The wreck of the TER, which included two trainsets and six cars in total, must be completely evacuated from the accident site, in Cléon (Seine-Maritime), within about a week, according to SNCF Réseau.

The site mobilizes 200 people from the SNCF, including 25 lifting specialists, as well as two Kirow cranes, the only two French examples - there are around fifty in the world, recalled this same source. These German-made cranes, which move on rails, are “the most powerful in the world”, underlines SNCF Réseau.

With its counterweight wagons, the SNCF model weighs 250 tonnes and can lift 150 tonnes using an arm with a reach of 23 meters. “We separate each module of the train for reasons of tonnage for evacuation but we have a train which also leaves in its entirety following the rails,” explains Samuel Sendera, head of the operations department at SNCF Réseau.

What happens to the wagons next?

“The vehicles are made available to the courts,” explains Pierre Sablier. The territorial director of the SNCF Réseau in Normandy recalls that “in a case like this, the courts asked us to make them available in a very specific location. All this is planned, organized, in relation with the prosecutor's services which very precisely manages the fact that all these operations must be respectful of the investigation.

The operations to lift the train, which derailed Friday evening near Rouen leaving 44 injured, including a seriously injured 18-year-old woman, are “particularly complex” and will last “at least a week”, according to SNCF Réseau.

When will traffic be able to resume?

“We estimate that it will take about a week to clear the track before repairing the track for several weeks,” explains Pierre Sablier.

A piece of rail present on the track could be the cause of the accident, according to the prosecution. However, the causes of the presence of this object remain unknown for the moment and the investigation continues.