Train disaster in Braunschweig: driver injured, route closed!

Train disaster in Braunschweig: driver injured, route closed!

Incredible scenes took place in Braunschweig-Gliesmarode on June 15, 2025, when a train collided with a car at an unguarded level crossing. The 27-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and was immediately taken to hospital. Fortunately, the approximately 50 passengers on the train were uninjured, which was a bit fortunate considering the circumstances. But the consequences of the incident are significant: the route between Uelzen and Braunschweig has been closed since then, and replacement rail services also had to be set up. It is expected to be in operation until midday on Monday, with some trains having to take diversions from Gifhorn to Braunschweig. Travelers are therefore urged to use the electronic timetable information before starting their journey in order to stay up to date. This was reported by Tagesschau.

The reason for this unfortunate incident? It seems that the driver missed the light signal at the level crossing. This problem is not an isolated case: serious accidents occur again and again at unguarded level crossings. One actor who is campaigning for this is the railway company Erixx, which is urgently calling for better security of these dangerous crossings. In fact, unrestricted level crossings are a sensitive issue in Germany, especially because road users are often inattentive.

The dangers of unrestricted level crossings

The debate about safety at level crossings shows that unrestricted crossings pose a great danger. An analysis shows that 154 accidents were recorded at Deutsche Bahn level crossings nationwide in 2023. This is significant progress compared to 603 collisions in 1995, but the challenge remains - 94 percent of accidents in this area involve cars. The reasons are often inattention, carelessness or ignorance of the traffic situation, as rufsperre.de states.

It is not for nothing that Bavaria is the federal state with the most rail accidents. There were a total of 46 accidents at level crossings there in 2023, with around half of the 3,000 level crossings having no barriers. This illustrates how important your own education and security measures are, as can be read in Bayerischer Rundfunk. For example, Edonisa Murati and her team are committed to cutting back vegetation on tracks because they consider the side visibility at unsecured level crossings to be inadequate.

Statistics at a glance

• 2023 gab es 13.598 Bahnübergänge in Deutschland, ein Rückgang um über 50 % seit 1994.
• Die meisten Unfälle ereignen sich an unbeschrankten Übergängen, wobei über 95 % auf menschliches Versagen zurückzuführen sind.
• Seit 1950 wurde die Anzahl der Bahnübergänge in Deutschland mehr als halbiert.

Overall, it remains a common task to find solutions that sustainably optimize safety at level crossings. While many level crossings are now equipped with safety systems, unguarded crossings are still a challenge for all road users. Only through a joint commitment by private and public authorities can future accidents be avoided. The incident in Braunschweig-Gliesmarode is an urgently needed wake-up call for everyone responsible to do something about it.