Accident Commission: Sweden not prepared for extreme weather

Two trains, one of which was carrying ammunition and large quantities of diesel, derailed on the main line, after parts of the embankment were washed away. In the village of Skorped, five kilometers outside Örnsköldsvik, the road home to Albin Eriksson and his family's house was washed away.

- I have never been part of anything like it, he told DN.

For several weeks, traffic was at a standstill on the main line, the rail that is described as the artery between northern and southern Sweden. It hit the industry hard. Both the forest and steel industry as well as the chemical industry use the route.

Several authorities have investigated the consequences of the floods, including the National Accident Commission, SHK, which presented its conclusions on Thursday.

SHK believes that Sweden needs to be prepared for extreme weather as a result of climate change. In the report, they write that "it is no longer a question of if, but to what extent and how often" extreme weather will occur.

- We know that we will have severe weather events in the future as well and it is important to be prepared for that, says Alexander Hurtig, investigation leader at SHK.

The authority lists a series of recommendations for how different authorities should deal with extreme weather. It is both about ongoing events but also about the preventive work of identifying vulnerable places and making risk assessments.

The Swedish Transport Administration is criticized for not having been able to ensure a sufficient level of safety to prevent serious accidents.

- There needs to be early warnings about possible dangers to road users, citizens and businesses. The Swedish Transport Administration needs to strengthen its operational work and use the weather data it has to analyze what it means for the facilities and take measures accordingly.

DN previously wrote that forestry in the vicinity of Skorped, where one of the trains derailed, may have worsened the damage after the extreme rain. According to Alexander Hurtig at SHK, roads in the forest that are used to transport vehicles and timber in forestry may have caused damage to the infrastructure.

- It was the powerful rain that caused the damage, but precisely the felling and the way the expansion of forest roads looked like may have channeled the water and contributed to the flows.

SHK also recommends that the government take measures. This involves, among other things, looking at current regulations and evaluating whether the laws that include forestry take into account the risks that forestry can entail for socially important infrastructure.

- The felling itself leads to raising the groundwater level. They increase the flow from the ground as the trees cannot absorb the water. In some places, forestry measures may have contributed to a greater flow and this is a risk that we have identified.

SHK is now submitting recommendations to the relevant authorities, who must respond within three months. But the recommendations are not binding.

- We make an assessment as to whether we consider their answers to be satisfactory or not. But we have no additional means of power, but our mandate ends at precisely an assessment of the recommendations.

DN is looking for the Swedish Transport Administration.