Leiferde
Freight train accident cost the railway three million euros
The rescue work after the freight train collision is complicated. photo
© Moritz Frankenberg/dpa
Two freight trains collide. The rescue work is difficult because overturned wagons are filled with propane gas. A year later the damage is assessed and there are initial suspicions.
One year after the serious accident with two freight trains Leiferde near Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony, responsibility has not been clarified. After extensive investigations, there is an initial suspicion of a threat to rail traffic against a railway employee, as the Hildesheim public prosecutor’s office announced upon request. Deutsche Bahn puts the costs for the company at around three million euros.
On November 17, 2022, a train with 25 tank cars filled with propane gas ran into another train that stopped at a signal in the Gifhorn district. Four wagons overturned and a train driver was slightly injured. It took emergency crews days to pump out the gas and flare it using a special device. The important rail connection between Hanover and Berlin stopped working for several weeks.
The route was only reopened on December 11th. According to the railway, the largest items from the total damage went into the use of machines, working hours and materials. Several overhead line masts were rebuilt, more than 1.5 kilometers of overhead lines had to be replaced and almost 2 kilometers of cable for control and safety technology had to be laid.
The railway continues to support the authorities in clarifying the cause of the accident, a company spokeswoman said. However, the conclusion of the investigation is not yet foreseeable, according to the public prosecutor’s office.