| Halle train collision | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Details | |
| Date | 15 February 2010 08:28 CET (07:28 UTC) |
| Location | Buizingen, Halle |
| Coordinates | 50°44′42″N 4°15′6″E / 50.74500°N 4.25167°E |
| Country | Belgium |
| Line | Line 96 (Brussels–Quévy) |
| Operator | NMBS/SNCB |
| Incident type | Collision |
| Cause | Running of a red signal |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 passenger trains |
| Passengers | 250–300 passengers |
| Deaths | 19 |
| Injured | 171 (35 serious) |
| Damage | Extensive damage to rails and overhead wiring Extensive damage to first three rail carriages of both trains |
The Halle train collision (also known as the Buizingen train collision) was a collision between two NMBS/SNCB passenger trains carrying a combined 250 to 300 people in Buizingen, in the municipality of Halle, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, on 15 February 2010. The crash occurred in snowy conditions at 08:28 CET (07:28 UTC), during rush hour, on railway line 96 (Brussels–Quévy) about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Brussels between P-train E3678 from Leuven to Braine-le-Comte (a local rush hour train) and IC-train E1707 from Quiévrain to Liège (an intercity train). A third train was able to come to a stop just in time.[1][2] The collision killed 19 people and injured 171, making it the deadliest rail crash in Belgium in over fifty years.[3][4]
Three investigations were held in the aftermath of the crash: a parliamentary investigation to review railway safety, a safety investigation for the purpose of preventing future crashes, and a judicial investigation into whether any laws were broken. The cause of the crash was determined to be a human error on behalf of the driver of the train from Leuven, who passed a red signal without authorization. This was contested by the train driver, despite the confirmations of the safety and judicial investigations. Another contributing factor was the absence of TBL 1+ on the train that passed the red signal. If TBL 1+ had been installed the crash may have been avoided. Because of multiple difficulties the judicial investigation lasted for years, causing the train driver, the NMBS/SNCB, and Infrabel (the infrastructure operator) to be summoned to court only in June 2018.
The disaster led to the accelerated rollout of TBL 1+ on the entire Belgian railway network. The last NMBS/SNCB train was fitted with the system in November 2016.
- ^ "Belgian train crash::: Eighteen people dead in Halle". BBC News. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "Dodentol van 18 personen bevestigd" [Death toll of 18 persons confirmed]. De Standaard (in Dutch). 15 February 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "Rapport d'enquête de sécurité – La collision ferroviaire survenue le 15 février 2010 à Buizingen" [Report of the safety investigation – The train collision of 15 February 2010 in Buizingen] (PDF). www.mobilit.fgov.be (in French). Investigation Body for Railway Accidents and Incidents. May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "Treinramp bij dodelijkste in onze geschiedenis" [Train disaster one of the deadliest in our history]. VRT Nieuws (in Dutch). 15 February 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2018.