Train crashes through barrier, comes to rest on whale tail sculpture

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Transportation officials in the Netherlands said no one was injured when a subway train crashed through a barrier and came to rest on a giant sculpture of a whale's tail.

RET, the transport operator in the city of Rotterdam, said the subway train jumped the tracks and crashed through buffers on its approach to the De Akkers station.

Officials said the train would have crashed to the ground about 30 feet below if it hadn't landed atop one of two whale tail sculptures next to the tracks. The sculpture is appropriately named "Saved by the Whale's Tail."

The company said the operator was the only person on board the train at the time of the crash and he was not injured.

Maarten Struijs, who installed the whale tail sculptures 20 years ago, said he was surprised to see the train had not damaged the plastic artwork.

Officials said they are working on a plan to remove the train, which is in a spot where it would be difficult to bring a heavy crane.