According to new investigations, a specific manufacturing process and the associated subsequent material weakness in the railway sleepers is a major cause of the fatal train accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This is the conclusion of an interim report by the Federal Bureau of Railway Accident Investigation (BEU), which was published on Monday on the second anniversary of the accident. On June 3, 2022, a regional train from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich derailed. Five people died and 78 were injured, 16 of them seriously.
The investigations revealed chemical reactions that develop after the manufacturing process of concrete components and lead to damage. “The damage was the result of a long-term process and led to structural failure of the prestressed concrete sleepers under the mechanical stresses associated with use,” the report states.
The investigations also revealed that it was not possible to fully identify the damage to the affected sleepers by visual inspection when they were installed. “The internal damage to the prestressed concrete sleepers examined was significantly greater than what was visible from the outside. In addition, the cracks partially formed in the area covered by ballast, rails and small iron parts.”