High winds cause closure and rail incident on Danish bridge
The Great Belt Fixed Link and the Øresund Bridge were both closed early on Wednesday as forceful gusts of wind made conditions perilous.
Eight people suffered minor injuries as a train was forced to undertake a sharp braking manoeuvre while crossing the Great Belt Bridge, media including broadcaster DR reported Wednesday morning.
A press spokesperson from rail operator DSB told DR that the train was “hit by an object” and subsequently had to brake sharply. The accident occurred around 7:30am, DR writes.
Funen Police also confirmed the incident in a tweet.
“There has been an accident on the low section of the Great Belt Fixed Link. Ambulances and police are on their way to the scene. Allow emergency vehicles to pass. Do not drive towards Nyborg on the motorway,” the tweet read.
Der er sket en togulykke på lavbroen over Storebælt. Ambulancer og politi på vej til stedet. Giv plads til udrykning. Kør ikke mod Nyborg ad motorvejen. Storebæltsforbindelsen er lukket. Vi melder ud her så snart vi ved mere #politidk
— Fyns Politi (@FynsPoliti) January 2, 2019
Although the Danish Road Directorate initially said it expected roads to be open again by 7am, bridge operating company Sund & Bælt later confirmed the Great Belt would not be open to road traffic again before 11am.
The Øresund Bridge reopened just prior to 7am, the Danish Road Directorate wrote on Twitter, adding that "strong winds" were still prevalent and that "wind-sensitive vehicles" were advised to avoid the crossing until 1pm. The Copenhagen-Malmö connection remains open at the time of writing.
E20 Øresundsbroen er nu genåbnet. Men advarer om kraftig blæst. Kørsel med vindfølsomme køretøjer frarådes frem til kl. 13:00 #dktrafikinfo https://t.co/mjlxifBI6V
— Vejdirektoratet (@vejdirektoratet) January 2, 2019
The closures have resulted in delays to rail services, DSB advised, with trains currently standing still between Korsør and Nyborg, the two stations either side of the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects the islands of Zealand and Funen.
There was currently "no prognosis" for when normal services will resume, DSB wrote.
Togene holder i øjeblikket stille på Storebæltsbroen mellem Korsør og Nyborg.
Det skyldes, at vi afventer ambulance til et tog på broen.
Vi har endnu ingen prognose for, hvornår vi igen kan køre.
Hold dig opdateret her: https://t.co/yPbSdxDuPd pic.twitter.com/XeZjQhZfq6
— DSB (@omDSB) January 2, 2019
Meanwhile, cancellations have affected several ferry crossings in Denmark, including between Aarhus and Sjællands Odde, DR reports.
READ ALSO: Weather news from Denmark
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Eight people suffered minor injuries as a train was forced to undertake a sharp braking manoeuvre while crossing the Great Belt Bridge, media including broadcaster DR reported Wednesday morning.
A press spokesperson from rail operator DSB told DR that the train was “hit by an object” and subsequently had to brake sharply. The accident occurred around 7:30am, DR writes.
Funen Police also confirmed the incident in a tweet.
“There has been an accident on the low section of the Great Belt Fixed Link. Ambulances and police are on their way to the scene. Allow emergency vehicles to pass. Do not drive towards Nyborg on the motorway,” the tweet read.
Der er sket en togulykke på lavbroen over Storebælt. Ambulancer og politi på vej til stedet. Giv plads til udrykning. Kør ikke mod Nyborg ad motorvejen. Storebæltsforbindelsen er lukket. Vi melder ud her så snart vi ved mere #politidk
— Fyns Politi (@FynsPoliti) January 2, 2019
Although the Danish Road Directorate initially said it expected roads to be open again by 7am, bridge operating company Sund & Bælt later confirmed the Great Belt would not be open to road traffic again before 11am.
The Øresund Bridge reopened just prior to 7am, the Danish Road Directorate wrote on Twitter, adding that "strong winds" were still prevalent and that "wind-sensitive vehicles" were advised to avoid the crossing until 1pm. The Copenhagen-Malmö connection remains open at the time of writing.
E20 Øresundsbroen er nu genåbnet. Men advarer om kraftig blæst. Kørsel med vindfølsomme køretøjer frarådes frem til kl. 13:00 #dktrafikinfo https://t.co/mjlxifBI6V
— Vejdirektoratet (@vejdirektoratet) January 2, 2019
The closures have resulted in delays to rail services, DSB advised, with trains currently standing still between Korsør and Nyborg, the two stations either side of the Great Belt Fixed Link, which connects the islands of Zealand and Funen.
There was currently "no prognosis" for when normal services will resume, DSB wrote.
Togene holder i øjeblikket stille på Storebæltsbroen mellem Korsør og Nyborg.
— DSB (@omDSB) January 2, 2019
Det skyldes, at vi afventer ambulance til et tog på broen.
Vi har endnu ingen prognose for, hvornår vi igen kan køre.
Hold dig opdateret her: https://t.co/yPbSdxDuPd pic.twitter.com/XeZjQhZfq6
Meanwhile, cancellations have affected several ferry crossings in Denmark, including between Aarhus and Sjællands Odde, DR reports.
READ ALSO: Weather news from Denmark
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