Freight train collides with truck in Hedemünden: route between Göttingen and Kassel closed!

Freight train collides with truck in Hedemünden: route between Göttingen and Kassel closed!

On Friday, October 24, 2025, a serious accident occurred at the level crossing in Hedemünden, Göttingen district. At around 9:10 a.m. there was a collision between a freight train and a truck. According to the Göttinger Tageblatt reports The railway line between Göttingen and Kassel was immediately closed.

The situation was serious as two people sustained injuries and the damage to vehicles and infrastructure was immense. The truck had been traveling on an unauthorized path and stopped on the tracks. The train driver reacted quickly and initiated emergency braking, but was no longer able to prevent the collision. Fortunately, the truck driver was able to get to safety in time.

The train service between Kassel and Göttingen is therefore interrupted for the time being. This affects both directions of the regional train line RB83. In order not to let travelers down, a replacement rail service with buses was organized. The Brundig bus company takes over the connection between Hann. Münden and Eichenberg, which is an important relief for travelers. Trains from Göttingen only run to Eichenberg, while trains from Kassel run to Hann. Drive to Münden.

Necessary measures and determination of the cause of the accident

Deutsche Bahn has already reported partial cancellations and delays. The route will remain closed until the vehicles involved in the accident have been recovered and an inspection of the damaged level crossing has taken place. This also involves determining how this accident could have occurred, which usually takes some time.

The problem of level crossings is not new. These level crossings between road and rail have grown historically and were originally intended to serve as low-traffic routes. In total, there were more than 13,600 level crossings in the Deutsche Bahn AG network in 2022. It should be noted that over 70% of these crossings are technically secured. However, technical security measures are not comprehensive and such intersections are often only secured through visual inspection and acoustic warning signals. Loud Research information system A significant sum is raised every year to secure these crossings.

Although accidents at such crossings have decreased in recent years, many remain due to the misconduct of road users. Therefore, work continues on the security of these transitions and the potential for optimization is being researched.

The current situation in Hedemünden once again raises questions about safety at level crossings and highlights the need to decouple traffic flows. Perhaps this is an opportunity to reflect on the safety of graded intersections across the country and, if necessary, take further measures to improve them.