No criminal charges for fatal train accident in Voorschoten, talk of an accident

The Public Prosecution Service will not prosecute anyone criminally for the fatal train accident near Voorschoten last year. A crane operator who was crossing the track with his crane was killed in that accident. Justice concludes that there was an accident.

The crane was used for maintenance work on the track. As a result, two tracks were not used. The other two tracks would also be put out of action before the crane would cross. However, before this happened and before the rest of the work crew reached the agreed location, the driver crossed the road.

A freight train collided with the crane and a passenger train derailed due to debris from this accident. The train occupants were injured and the crane operator died.

“It is not possible to determine why the crane operator started the crossing earlier, despite this agreement. No technical defects have been identified on the crane and there are no indications that the crane operator had become unwell or had deliberately placed the crane in front of the freight train,” the Public Prosecution Service summarizes. The conclusion is therefore that there was an accident.