The anger towards SL after Saturday’s accident
Updated 21.47 | Published 21.35
Helén Lindqvist, 60, was in the subway car that stopped yesterday.
The crowded carriage stood still for three hours.
– An elderly couple missed their daughter’s wedding, she says
Helén Lindqvist’s Saturday in Stockholm did not go quite as planned. She was sitting in the subway car that broke down between Östermalmstorg and Karlaplan.
She thinks that SL handled the situation very poorly.
– Things can happen, that’s not what I’m facing. But I am critical of how the whole situation was handled and the lack of information and measures, she says.
It was afternoon and the Stockholm marathon was in full swing when the subway suddenly stopped.
– At first it was calm and quiet for quite some time, but then the train driver said that there was something wrong with the carriage and that she would return soon. After 20 minutes came the message that there was a serious error.
The driver said she would try to drive back to Östermalmstorg station.
– But then nothing happened, says Helén Lindqvist.
Bad air
People started sweating. The air inside the carriage was bad.
– After another 40 minutes, we were told that they were waiting for a technician.
More time passed, then the announcement came that the wagon was to be evacuated.
– They said we would be allowed to leave within ten minutes, but then an hour passed before that happened.
In total, Helén Lindqvist and her company sat in the carriage for about three hours.
– It was very scarce information and it rarely came. Then it didn’t turn out as they said either. There was a woman sitting very close to us who had claustrophobia. So it became difficult for her early on.
One of Helén’s companions suffers from a chronic illness.
– The least you can ask for is that they ask if someone is sick, if someone is unwell or needs help. But they didn’t say anything like that at all. Nothing. I think it is beneath all criticism. An actor as large as SL should have some form of preparation and be able to handle crisis management and crisis communication?
Once the passengers were allowed to leave, it was very close to going back to the station. No information came then either.
– I thought then that maybe you could get water or something, but nothing.
Missed my daughter’s wedding
In connection with the evacuation of the carriage, Helén also talked a little with an elderly couple.
– They were very finely dressed and were going to their daughter’s wedding, but they had now missed it.
SL says that all the passengers who sat in the damaged carriage may be entitled to compensation.
– You can send your complaints to us, then an assessment will be made, says Aleksander Krajisnik on SL’s press call.
Many who sat there are critical of the poor communication.
– We have already established at this stage that the information was deficient. We will of course review how it can be improved. Why was it deficient and what are we doing to prevent it from happening again? It needs to get better and we will get better.
But why was it deficient then?
– I cannot answer that now.
