Whale sculpture catches derailed Rotterdam metro train

A metro train derailed at the De Akkers station in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the night of November 1-2, 2020. The train crashed through the end-of-track barrier and was left hanging 10 meters above the Meuse River, prevented from falling by a large plastic whale tail sculpture titled Whale's Tale, designed by architect Maarten Struijs. The train had no passengers; the driver escaped unaided and was hospitalized for checks with no reported injuries. The sculpture, installed in 2002, is made entirely of plastic. Struijs expressed surprise at its strength, noting it had been in place for 20 years and was never intended to support a train. Born in 1946 in Vlaardingen, Struijs previously worked with the architecture firm Hammel, Witstok en Zwarts (1971-1973) and later as an independent architect with Studio Acht, where he designed 76 houses in Bolnes and an office building in Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel. He also worked at Van Wijk en Gelderblom in Soest (1979-1981).