Train number 168 en route from Kalundborg to Copenhagen Central Station was delayed by about 15 minutes due to the heavy traffic on the line.

It was composed of four goods wagons and salon-composite coach Bj 665[3] pulled by DSB Litra KS 276.

Pulling it was a high speed DSB Class P steam locomotive that could reach 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph).

Shortly after he noticed that he didn't think about the express train, and he tried to contact Brøndbyøster station.

Train 168 had only travelled 130 metres (430 ft) from the entry signal at Vigerslev towards the direction of Brondbyøster.

The boy who fell off the train had been found next to the track, he had survived with a broken leg.

Meanwhile, the dispatcher ran towards Brondbyøster to signal the express train to stop with his lantern.

As the accident took place away from a station, the site was not lit, which complicated the salvage operations.

The only light source available were the front signals of the train carrying the fire fighting equipment, that travelled back to the site of the accident.

Two of them were repaired for other purposes and one of them wasn't scrapped until 2013, despite its coach body having been set aside for preservation in 1995.