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De Akkers () is the most southwestern subway station of the Rotterdam Metro and is located in the Dutch city of
Just after midnight on 2 November 2020, an empty metro train, operated by RET, on the Rotterdam Metro crashed through the buffer stop at the end of the sidings beyond the station. The sidings are built on a viaduct projecting out over the canal. The lead car of the train partially rested on a high whale sculpture erected in front of the sidings, preventing the train from falling to the canal below. Only the driver was on board when the accident happened and he freed himself without injury. He was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. Maarten Struijs, the sculptor who created the artwork, said he was surprised that the sculpture had held together.
Following the accident, Struijs was interviewed about the sculptures, and reported that he was surprised the statue was able to hold the weight of the train, and stated that "it does look rather poetic." He said the statue was never meant to be an extra safety measure for the trains.
Since the crash, these sculptures have been referred to in some media with the name ''Saved by a Whale's Tail.''
Photographs
on
Spijkenisse
Spijkenisse () is a city in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Following an administrative reform in 2015, it is part of the municipality of Nissewaard, and has a population of 72,500. It covers an area of of which is water. It is par ...
. The station, with one island platform, opened on 25 April 1985 as a terminus of the North-South Line (also formerly called Erasmus line), nowadays line D. Since the extension of the East-West Line (Caland line) opened on 4 November 2002, the station also serves as terminus of that line. The station is named for the adjacent neighbourhood and is located on top of its shopping mall.
Whale tail sculpture
In 2002, two whale sculptures, designed by architect and named ''Walvisstaarten'' (Dutch for ''Whale's tails'') were installed at the end of the sidings beyond the station. The sculptures were made of reinforcedpolyester
Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natura ...
.
Train accident
Just after midnight on 2 November 2020, an empty metro train, operated by RET, on the Rotterdam Metro crashed through the buffer stop at the end of the sidings beyond the station. The sidings are built on a viaduct projecting out over the canal. The lead car of the train partially rested on a high whale sculpture erected in front of the sidings, preventing the train from falling to the canal below. Only the driver was on board when the accident happened and he freed himself without injury. He was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. Maarten Struijs, the sculptor who created the artwork, said he was surprised that the sculpture had held together.
Following the accident, Struijs was interviewed about the sculptures, and reported that he was surprised the statue was able to hold the weight of the train, and stated that "it does look rather poetic." He said the statue was never meant to be an extra safety measure for the trains.
Since the crash, these sculptures have been referred to in some media with the name ''Saved by a Whale's Tail.''
See also
*O'Hare station train crash
On March 24, 2014, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) passenger train overran the bumper at O'Hare station, injuring 34 people.
Accident
At 2:50 a.m. local time (07:50 UTC) on March 24th 2014, a passenger train overran the bumper at . The f ...
: A Chicago Transit Authority
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , ...
train operator fell asleep at the throttle and overshot the buffers at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport station
* Moorgate tube crash: A London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The ...
train overshot the buffers at Moorgate tube station
References
External links
*Joey BremerPhotographs
on
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{{Railway accidents in the Netherlands
Rotterdam Metro stations located above ground
Nissewaard
Railway stations opened in 1985
1985 establishments in the Netherlands