Improvements introduced after accidents
The railways were not immune to incidents and accidents. Some led to stricter regulations or other improvements. One example is the most serious accident in Swedish railway history at Getå in 1918, which claimed the lives of 42 people.
The cause of the accident was a landslide. After the incident, SJ introduced a geotechnical department that is still in operation today. At Getå and a few other locations in the country, landslide warning systems have been installed to alert of geological changes under the railway.
A new signalling aid
Another accident occurred in 1928, at Länninge, south of Bollnäs, when a northbound train on its way to Bollnäs reported problems with the locomotive, prompting a relief locomotive to be dispatched from Bollnäs. Due to a misunderstanding of the signalling in Bollnäs, the relief locomotive set off and a collision occurred.
As a result, a technical aid was developed: the dispatch baton. This was incorporated into the safety regulations and came into use in January 1929.