 The cause of the cracks was a rubber washer which had been installed on the first eight trains — rather than the conventional plastic cover — which was intended to protect the axles from ice and stones . Adtranz had delivered thousands of trains with the conventional method without cracks , but the washers trapped water and this caused them to corrode and crack . Adtranz had applied a coat of paint as the sole means to avoid corrosion to the axle . The DNV inspector had " hardly believed his ears " when he heard about it . In addition , the axles were undersized , and DNV stated that it was only under duress that they considered it safe to operate the trains at conventional speeds , and that all the axles would have to be replaced . On 30 August , NSB gave Adtranz two weeks to solve the axle issues unless the contract was to be revoked . 
