Suche
Mein Konto
Train chaos after a dangerous game: girls stop the Berlin-Hamburg route!
On June 16, 2025, two girls caused a 1,100-minute delay on the express route between Hamburg and Berlin. Federal police warn of dangers on railway systems.
Train chaos after a dangerous game: girls stop the Berlin-Hamburg route!
Last Saturday evening there was a blatant incident on the high-speed line between Hamburg and Berlin that caused major railway chaos. Two girls aged 12 and 14 were near the tracks near Grabow around 7:20 p.m. and caused the line to be closed. An approaching freight train spotted the two and braked to a standstill in time to prevent anything worse from happening. However, this exemplary reaction meant that the route had to be closed for around 50 minutes, which had massive consequences for rail traffic.
A total of 32 trains were delayed and the railway recorded train cancellations for over 1,178 minutes, resulting in almost 20 hours of complications in rail traffic. Fortunately, the two girls were uninjured and were rescued by the police around 9 p.m Federal Police handed over to their legal guardians in Parchim.
Dangers on railway systems
The federal police are using this incident to once again point out the dangers on railway systems. Children and young people in particular often have a false sense of security and underestimate the risks. “Railways are not playgrounds,” warns them Federal Police. The number of unauthorized stays on tracks is increasing, especially with warmer temperatures, which makes the call for caution all the more urgent.
The dangerous thing about it? Trains travel at extremely high speeds and are often barely audible. Modernly equipped ICE trains that whiz through the stations at around 160 km/h have a long braking distance of up to 1,000 meters. Many people, especially young people, do not understand that trains cannot avoid obstacles and that even a small moment of inattention could have fatal consequences.
Education and prevention
In order to raise awareness of the dangers, the German railway and the Federal Police launched several initiatives. The campaign “Be safe on the road!” aims to educate children and parents about the risks and correct behavior at railway facilities. This includes events at schools, information stands in train stations and the use of social media for information activities.
Activities such as climbing on freight trains, taking shortcuts across tracks or taking selfies in the track area are particularly dangerous. On-site staff ensure that these behaviors are avoided and inform passers-by about the safety rules in place. A central element of this education is adhering to the safety line, which may only be crossed after the train has stopped.
Deutsche Bahn also points out that entering railway tracks is prohibited and an individual ban on staying there can be punished with high risk and possible fines of up to 5,000 euros. Those who endanger railway operations can even face prison sentences of up to 10 years.
In summary, it remains to be said: Our railways are reliable means of transport, but correct behavior on railway systems is of the utmost importance. This is the only way we can ensure that we all reach our destination unscathed.