An underground train that miraculously landed on a giant whale tail sculpture in the Netherlands was going too fast, an official report has said.
The train was saved by the structure after crashing through the barriers of an elevated section of track in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, in November.
Instead of crashing into the water ten meters below, the leading metro train was left hanging spectacularly in the air, perched on the silver metal whale’s tail.
The driver of the metro, who was alone on board, was unharmed.
According to an investigation into the cause of the accident, the train was traveling at a speed of 57 km/h. The speed limit was 35 km/h.
Rain and the driver’s reaction time were also found to be factors.
“The study shows that we failed on a number of points,” said Maurice Unck, managing director of RET, the company responsible for public transport in the city and metropolitan area of Rotterdam.
“Immediately after the accident, we made it technically impossible for a similar accident to happen again, the lane in question was taken out of service,” he added in a statement.
The driver, who was accused of braking too late, was given a reminder of instructions, the company said and was dismissed, according to local media.
The sculpture, which consists of two giant whale tails emerging from the water, remains in a park under the elevated railway line.
