At the end of January, Gröna Lund was fined 5.2 million kronor by the Stockholm District Court. The amusement park was convicted, among other things, of causing death after the accident on the Jetline roller coaster on June 25, 2023, when a woman died and several were injured.
Gröna Lund denied any wrongdoing, but will not appeal the verdict.
"Out of consideration for those affected and their relatives, we will not appeal. We see no reason to prolong the process," says Gröna Lund CEO Jan Eriksson.
“Tough to fall”
The accident occurred when the Jetline derailed after the support arm on the underside of the front carriage broke. The parts of the support arm with the wheels on either side of the train came loose and fell off.
The Swedish National Accident Investigation Board (SHK) has harshly criticized Gröna Lund. According to SHK, Gröna Lund's order for the support arm in question, which was placed in 2019, was deficient.
Gröna Lund placed the order for the new support arms with Mekosmos, who in turn placed them with Göteborgs Mekaniska.
Göteborgs Mekaniska, which made the support arms, lacked a certificate to manufacture fairground parts, and failed to complete a crucial weld.
It's tough for Gröna Lund to be convicted of a crime. But the worst has already happened, and that was the accident itself. When it became clear that the support arm was manufactured incorrectly, we were able to conclude that closer contact with the suppliers could probably have reduced the risks of the deficiencies that arose.
For several of the plaintiffs, the verdict in January was a final point - but with a somewhat bitter aftertaste. To a large extent, the damages they had claimed were not awarded. This was because the district court's assessment was that the crimes were not serious.
"We have not had any comments on the claims for damages that have been made, but have left it to the district court to assess," says Eriksson.
“Extremely sad”
Jan Eriksson says that Gröna Lund will carry the accident with it for a long time, that the company feels a great responsibility, and that the work with suppliers has changed.
A lot of it revolves around being closer to suppliers. We are extremely sorry for what happened; it should never have happened, and it should never happen again.
Alongside Gröna Lund, Göteborgs Mekaniska was sentenced to a corporate fine of 1.3 million kronor. Mekosmos was acquitted. The deadline for the appeal expires at midnight.
