Lower Saxony
Long-distance traffic affected after two trains collided
Several wagons were damaged in the accident involving two freight trains in the Gifhorn district. photo
© —/Federal Police Inspectorate Hanover/dpa
A freight train drives into a stationary train, explosive propane gas escapes: according to the fire department, people in the Gifhorn area do not have to fear any danger. But the accident hit rail traffic hard.
After the collision of two freight trains in the Gifhorn district, long-distance traffic between Berlin and Hanover is severely affected until at least Sunday evening.
The section of the route was completely closed, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn told the German Press Agency in the early morning. The trains would be diverted. Delays and train cancellations can occur. Travelers should inform themselves about their connections before starting their journey, as the company announced.
Among other things, the ICE trains from Switzerland via Frankfurt and Kassel to Berlin are affected. The IC connections between Amsterdam and Berlin only run as far as Hanover and also start there in the opposite direction. Trains that travel from Hamm and Münster via Hanover to Berlin are also affected, according to DB.
In the incident on Thursday morning, a freight train stopped near Leiferde, according to the fire brigade, because of a corresponding signal, and a following freight train drove onto the train for an initially unclear reason. According to a spokesman for the federal police, two tank wagons overturned in the collision and two more derailed. The approaching train consisted of 25 tank wagons filled with propane gas. Explosive propane escaped from two tank cars. The driver of the oncoming train suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.