Track driver after freight train collision in Celle seriously injured!

Track driver after freight train collision in Celle seriously injured!

A serious traffic accident in the district of Celle employs the emergency services. In the afternoon of June 18, there was a serious collision between a tractor and a freight train at an unrestricted level crossing in Beckedorf. The 21-year-old tractor driver was seriously injured in the collision. Despite an immediately initiated emergency braking of the train, the attentive train driver could not prevent the collision because the driver simply overlooked the train. The impact of the impact hurled the woman out of her vehicle.

The Beckedorf fire brigade was quickly on hand to secure the scene of the accident and remove leakage materials. The tractor, which was next to the tracks after the collision in the ditch, was recovered with the help of a crane. In the meantime, the police are investigating to clarify the exact circumstances of the accident. These tragic incidents also make a lightly on the dangers that exist at unlimited level crossings.

risk factor level crossing

The problem of unsecured level crossings has been known in Germany for years. According to the research information system, there were a total of 13,624 level crossings on the network of Deutsche Bahn AG in 2022. These transitions are usually secured with a St. Andrew's cross that gives the rail vehicles priority. It should be noted that rail vehicles cannot avoid and have long braking routes. Over 70 % of these transitions in Germany are technically secured, whereby a share of over 30 % is non -technical and only works through visual control.

A look at Austria shows that there are similar risks there. On the same day on which the accident passed in Beckedorf, another serious incident occurred in Styria. A trucker overlooked a red traffic light at an unrestricted level crossing and was recorded by a local train. A total of 16 people were injured, three of them seriously. Such events illustrate that unrestricted transitions are still a significant risk to road users.

security measures and future developments

Accordingly, the federal government plans to minimize these dangers by installing barriers. The accident was particularly tragic in the Styria accident mentioned, since numerous accidents already took place at this level crossing. Measures for better backup have been announced there for November.

Deutsche Bahn is investing around 170 million euros annually in securing level crossings, with the federal government and road construction funds also provide additional financial resources. However, the number of accidents at height -like intersections has fallen consistently in recent years, which indicates a positive trend. At the same time, dealing with the level crossings remains a challenge, especially since many accidents are caused by the misconduct of road users.