Meerbusch train crash
| Meerbusch train crash | |
|---|---|
 The wrecked passenger train at train accident site near Meerbusch on 8 Dec 2017 | |
| Details | |
| Date | 5 December 2017 19:30 CET (18:30 UTC) |
| Location | Meerbusch, North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Country | Germany |
| Line | Krefeld - Neuss line |
| Operator | DB Cargo National Express Germany |
| Incident type | Rear-end collision |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | 155 |
| Injured | 50 |
The Meerbusch train crash occurred on 5 December 2017 when a passenger train ran into the rear of a freight train near Meerbusch, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Fifty people were injured, nine seriously.
Accident
[edit]At about 19:30 CET (18:30 UTC), a passenger train operated by National Express Germany ran into the rear of a freight train operated by DB Cargo near Meerbusch-Osterath station, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The driver of the passenger train was able to give a warning before the collision occurred.[1] Fifty people were injured, nine seriously and three with moderate injuries.[2][3] The train was carrying 155 passengers.[4] The passenger train was travelling from Krefeld to Neuss. The freight train was travelling from Dillingen, Saarland to Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands.[1] The rear three wagons of the freight train were derailed.[2] The leading carriage of the Bombardier Talent 2 electric multiple unit which formed the passenger train was severely damaged.[1] The rescue of passengers was hampered by fallen power cables,[5] which were made safe by Deutsche Bahn. More than 200 firefighters assisted in the rescue efforts. The line between Düsseldorf and Krefeld was closed.[3]
Investigation
[edit]The Eisenbahn-Unfalluntersuchungsstelle des Bundes (EUB) opened an investigation into the accident.[6] It was reported that the passenger train may have incorrectly been given permission to pass a signal indicating “stop”.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Oliphant, Vickie (5 December 2017). "Railway crash injures five - more than 100 trapped as passenger train hits freight train". Daily Express. Express Newspapers. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ a b c "Regionalzug fuhr auf falschem Gleis" [Regional train drove on wrong track] (in German). RP Online. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Dutzende Verletzte bei Zugunglück in Meerbusch" [Dozens injured in train crash in Meerbusch] (in German). Der Spiegel. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Germany train: Collision near Düsseldorf injures six". BBC News. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Dozens injured in a train collision in Meerbusch, Germany". Euronews. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Untersuchungen zur Zugkollision zwischen Abzw Weißenberg und Meerbusch-Osterath aufgenommen" [Investigation into train collision between Abzw Weißenberg and Meerbusch-Osterath started] (in German). Bundestelle für Eisenbahnunfalluntersuchung. Retrieved 6 December 2017.