Danes ban truck trailers on trains after fatal accident

Denmark has banned truck trailers on trains following last week’s deadly accident which saw a high-speed passenger train strike cargo that had fallen off a freight train coming from the opposite direction.

The country’s transport authority also said it is imposing stricter conditions for freight transport over the Storebaelt rail link, a system connecting islands in the center of Denmark, “under special weather conditions” and banning the crossing of freight trains during storms.

The Jan. 2 accident that saw eight people killed and 16 injured occurred on a bridge during strong winds.

The cause of the crash involving a freight train transporting semi-trailers filled with beer crates is still under investigation.

The agency said Tuesday’s decision came after a test showed semi-trailers are not securely locked on piggyback flat wagons.