Graveson English summary

On 14 July 2022 at around 4.30pm, the FRET-SNCF train no. 489 038 (Fos-Coussoul to Gevrey-Triage) travelling stopped between Barbentane and Avignon at Km 744.730, after passing over the hotbox detector (HBD) at Graveson on track 2.

A petrol wagon generated a brake danger alarm. Examination of the defective wagon showed, from the condition of the brake shoes and treads, that it had been running with brakes applied. When the driver inspected his train stopped on the line at Km 745, he isolated the brake and affixed an IS label with the words "blocking/brake shoes out of order" on all eight wheels of the wagon.

At the same time, the driver of the following SNCF-FRET train reported that he had noticed fires starting in the vicinity of track 2 from the Km 769 to the Km 751, between Arles and Avignon. It stopped at Km 747. Traffic was interrupted on tracks 1 and 2. The transport plan was adapted (trains were diverted via the right bank of the Rhône and passengers were replaced by buses).

The fires spread into a raging blaze at around 4.30 pm, affecting the communes of Barbentane, Graveson, Tarascon and Boulbon in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, before "jumping" to the Montagnette massif in the wind and scorching temperatures.

The fires covered almost 1,450 hectares. Three hundred houses were evacuated, but none were affected. The fire brigade, worked tirelessly to protect Frigolet Abbey. A volunteer firefighter died on July 25 following a seizure that occurred on July 15 while carrying out his duties while fighting the fire.

The damage to the railway’s electrical installations is considerable. Several main signalling and power cables were affected.

The investigations highlight the following contributing factors :
➢ The heatwave during this period was a factor in the spread of the fire ;
➢ Difficult access to the Montagnette by the fire brigade’s heavy land vehicles hampered their response.

The BEA-TT has issued five recommendations to prevent this type of accident in the following areas :
➢ For track crossings by heavy vehicles in the current section, study temporary and rapid solutions, without damaging the track ;
➢ Study the possibility of reducing the distance between HBD/BAD in sensitive areas, lowering the detection thresholds of BAD and ensuring that information is chained between HBD/BAD ;
➢ Examine with the relevant ministries the possibility of giving SNCF Réseau greater flexibility to meet its legal undergrowth clearance obligations ;
➢ For freight train drivers, step up supervision while the train is in motion, provide information on the consequences of locking the brakes with LL brake shoes and study the possibility of increasing the overload to a higher value ;
➢ Jointly study experiments aimed at improving the detection of anomalies in the braking system, at the start and on the line.