Around two months after the train accident that killed five, local politicians from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district sharply criticized the situation on the railway line. The structural and technical condition of the Werdenfelsbahn is “a catastrophe”, write the mayor and district administrator Anton Speer (free voters) in a letter to Deutsche Bahn on Wednesday.
The rail replacement service, which has been running for a good two months because the tracks at the accident site have not yet been renovated, is chaotic and “an ecological madness” because of the many empty runs. The communication of the train is as good as non-existent – and a turnaround in traffic in the district is not achievable. It is incomprehensible that a railway line, which serves as a “lifeline” for commuters, students and guests, is not operated or is not operated regularly and is only being renovated in stages. “It’s finally time to get down to business and not just try to calm things down by paying lip service,” the politicians demanded and urged Deutsche Bahn to act.
With a view to the new school year, everything must now be done to ensure safe, reliable and future-oriented operations. After the train accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it is still unclear when trains will start rolling again on the route. The railway has not yet commented on the extent of the damage. A regional train derailed on June 3 shortly after leaving Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the direction of Munich. Four women and a 13-year-old died in the accident.