RAILWAY ALLOWED SAFETY CERTIFICATE TO LAPSE
Dutch railway inspectorate confirms preserved line is no longer certified for national network.
Holland’s South Limburg Steam Train Company cannot run over main line metals because it allowed its safety certificate to lapse, the country’s transport inspectorate has stated. The Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij (ZLSM) is no longer permitted to operate steam-hauled trains over the 3km between Schin op Geul and Valkenburg on the Kerkrade Centrum-Maastricht line, a 100kph electrified double-track route. The ZLSM said that this was due to new rules requiring drivers to spend 46 consecutive days in training (SR467). However, the Dutch Rail Inspectorate (ILT) responds: “On this section, being a main line with full signalling, ATB (the Dutch Automatic Train Protection System) and a frequent passenger service, the European Directives for train drivers have applied since 2007, and Interoperability rail safety since 2004. “The inspectorate gave the ZLSM a certificate to go beyond Valkenburg, to Maastricht, provided its trains were equipped with ATB and its drivers had a main line certificate. “Recently, ZLSM allowed that licence - which has to be renewed every five years at maximum - to lapse. Because of the increased risk level, ZLSM drivers must be fully competent in such an operation and therefore must comply to the standards set for main line train drivers as specified in the Dutch Railway Act. “Each operator who wants to get access to main line railways has to obtain a safety certificate, but ZLSM did not apply for a new one, hence it expired. “On average, it takes about 46 days to train a driver. How those 46 days are used is up to the training institution. The inspectorate is not involved with the contents of the training program, nor the length of it. A number of years ago, ZLSM could see this coming. Alas, it failed to take action until it ran out of qualified drivers. “The inspectorate wishes to stimulate the preservation of our heritage on the rails, as well as on the roads, in the air and at sea, but in a safe way and in compliance with legislation.” ZLSM Chairman Michel Schellekens said: “We will not be running for a new certificate but want to use the option that the Dutch railway law offers, which entails a lighter level of knowledge for our drivers, only for the 4km to Valkenburg.”