Riedlingen Train Accident: Landslide Confirmed as Cause

Three people lost their lives in the accident: "Eine 70 Jahre alte Reisende, ein 32 Jahre alter Lokführer und ein 36 Jahre alter Bahn-Auszubildender starben." According to earlier statements from the prosecutor's office, 36 passengers were injured, some of them with life-threatening injuries. Among the injured were two children aged 7 and 13.

Several carriages became entangled with one another. The first carriage was pushed up an embankment and crashed into a tree, causing the front to break off. There is no overhead line there, as the route is not electrified.

Victims and Investigations

Following the train accident, the Ravensburg prosecutor's office initiated a death investigation procedure. This is standard practice in cases of non-natural death. "Ermittler von Polizei und Staatsanwaltschaft gingen früh davon aus, dass ein dadurch ausgelöster Erdrutsch direkt an der Strecke die Entgleisung verursachte."

According to a spokesperson for the agency, the investigations are not yet complete. They are still awaiting the geological expert report. In connection with this, almost 700 meters of rail and around 500 concrete sleepers were replaced. The railway had to renew the tracks in the area of the accident site over a length of around 300 meters.

Consequences for the Infrastructure

In addition, signal cables also had to be replaced. The railway line was closed for months. The report now available from the Federal Railway Accident Investigation Agency provides official confirmation of the suspicion expressed early on.

The investigation by the Bonn agency is considered a standard procedure for serious railway accidents in Germany. With the report, an expert assessment of the cause of the accident is now available for the first time. Any potential consequences for line operations or protective measures against future landslides will only be decided once the geological expert report is available.

The accident caused dismay beyond the region, especially since children were among the victims and the injured. The final investigations are intended to clarify whether additional factors contributed to the derailment. Until then, the exact sequence of events remains partially open.