“Close Call Chronicles: Reichertshausen Railway Incident Narrowly Averts Catastrophe

Reichertshausen in Bavaria narrowly avoided a potential disaster in a recent train incident involving a close call between a regional train and an ICE. According to police reports, there was “lateral contact” between the two trains, highlighting the fortunate outcome for passengers. A police official on the scene remarked that the situation was perilous.

The incident unfolded as two high-speed ICE trains, one from Ingolstadt and the other from Munich, were simultaneously navigating the station area. The close proximity of the trains heightened the risk of a collision, with potential catastrophic consequences. The police officer explained that both ICE trains were traveling at high speed, and had they collided, it would have been a catastrophe.

Following the incident, a noticeable approximately 25-meter-long scratch was observed on one of the wagons of the ICE train. The investigation into how the trains could have made contact at the station revealed a potential issue with the switches designed to serve as flank protection. These switches are intended to prevent incoming trains from colliding with the sides of others. The switch in question, controlled from the operations center at the Donnersberg Bridge in Munich, experienced a disruption of unknown origin.

The sequence of events unfolded when the Regio-Express had to wait at the station for the ICE to overtake it on its way to Munich. However, a miscalculation occurred as the regional train passed the switch and the stop signal. The ICE collided with it from the side, causing a tilt to the left. Simultaneously, another ICE bound for Nuremberg initiated emergency braking, preventing a more severe outcome. Remarkably, the ICE bound for Munich tipped back onto the track to the right, narrowly avoiding catastrophe.

While the railway line is now passable again, it operates on a single track, highlighting the need for a thorough investigation into the switch malfunction and ensuring enhanced safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.