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An ICE collided with an excavator near Gelnhausen. The gripper arm extended over the tracks and the train could not brake in time. The railway line between Frankfurt and Fulda is expected to be closed until mid-week.
Gelnhausen – Update from March 24th, 8:19 a.m.: “We expect that the restrictions will continue until the evening of March 24th,” said Deutsche Bahn. Due to the route closure, the route between Frankfurt and Fulda is currently not passable. According to the railway, this results in delays of 45 minutes and cancellations in long-distance services.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the restrictions following the accident in Kinzigtal affect the long-distance transport connections (ICE) between Frankfurt and Hamburg, Frankfurt and Berlin (via Wolfsburg/Braunschweig and via Erfurt) and between Frankfurt and Dresden (via Erfurt and Leipzig).
ICE collides with excavator in Kinzigtal – route closed for days
Update from March 23rd, 4:44 p.m.: The railway line between Frankfurt and Fulda will probably be closed for a few more days. “We are currently assuming that the closure will last until the middle of the week,” reports Maximilian Klotz, spokesman for Deutsche Bahn, when asked.
The repair team is already working on repairing the damaged overhead line in the Main-Kinzig district. The passengers on the affected ICE were able to continue their journey on a replacement train. Due to the complete closure, trains have to be rerouted, some via Aschaffenburg, Deutsche Bahn announced.
First report from March 23rd, 2:21 p.m.: An ICE train collided with an excavator on the railway line near Gelnhausen on Monday morning (March 23rd). The excavator operator was slightly injured in the accident, but the approximately 650 passengers on board the train were uninjured, the Frankfurt Federal Police Inspectorate announced at midday.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on the railway line between Frankfurt and Fulda. According to previous findings, the excavator's gripper arm was in the so-called normal clearance area of the route when the ICE 71 approached. This clearance is the safety area around the tracks that must remain clear so that trains can pass unhindered and safely.
The train could no longer stop in time and collided with the construction vehicle. The excavator operator suffered a minor head injury as a result of the collision. He was taken to a hospital for further treatment. The ICE was also damaged by the impact. In order to evacuate the 650 passengers from the ICE and transport them on, Deutsche Bahn provided another train.
The route was closed to rail traffic. The exact cause of the accident and the amount of damage caused are currently being determined by the emergency services on site. The route closure is expected to be lifted once the investigation has been completed. This was not yet foreseeable, according to a report from the Federal Police shortly before 1 p.m.
Overhead line damaged: failures and delays in long-distance transport
Deutsche Bahn announced that the overhead line was also damaged in the accident and needs to be repaired. “After our experts have created a picture of the damage, we can predict how long the repair work will take,” explained a spokesman for the railway.
In its traffic reports, the railway also provided information about the route closure between Frankfurt and Fulda. The following long-distance transport connections are affected:
- ICE trains on the connection Frankfurt/Main – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hanover – Hamburg
- ICE trains on the connection Frankfurt/Main – Wolfsburg / Braunschweig – Berlin
- ICE trains on the Frankfurt/Main – Erfurt – Berlin connection
- ICE trains on the connection Frankfurt/Main – Erfurt – Leipzig – Dresden
Due to the complete closure, trains would have to be rerouted over a large area, which would lead to delays and train cancellations, said the railway spokesman. In long-distance traffic alone, around six trains are traveling every hour on the affected section of the route in the direction of Hanover/Hamburg, Erfurt, Leipzig, Dresden and Berlin. In regional traffic, individual connections were canceled or turned around prematurely.
Travelers were asked to check their connection before starting their journey bahn.dein the DB Navigator app or by telephone travel information (030 2970). Just a short time ago There was a serious accident at work in a forest between Steinau and Marjoß. A young man had to be taken to hospital by rescue helicopter. (with dpa material)
