Train disaster in Braunschweig: motor driver injured, route closed!

Train disaster in Braunschweig: motor driver injured, route closed!

Incredible scenes took place on June 15, 2025 in Braunschweig-Gliesmarode when a train with a car at an unrestricted level crossing Collided. The 27-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and was immediately taken to the hospital. Fortunately, the approximately 50 passengers remained unharmed on the train, which was a little luck in view of the circumstances. But the consequences of the incident are significant: the route between Uelzen and Braunschweig has been closed since then, and rail replacement traffic also had to be set up. It is expected to be in operation by Monday afternoon, with some trains to be diversions from Gifhorn to Braunschweig. Travelers are therefore urgently asked to use the electronic timetable information before starting travel to stay up to date. This reported [Tagesschau] (https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/niedersachsen/ndr-zug-kollidi-mit-auto-an-bahnuebahrglei-s section

The reason for this unfortunate incident? It seems that the driver overlooked the light signal at the level crossing. This problem is not an isolated case: there are always serious accidents on untrained level crossings. An actor who is strong for this is the Erixx railway company, which urgently requires a better securing of these dangerous transitions. In fact, unrestricted level crossings in Germany are a sensitive topic, especially because of the often inattentive road users.

The dangers of unrestricted level crossings

In the debate about security at level crossings, it turns out that untrained transitions are a great danger. An analysis shows that 2023 nationwide 154 accidents at Deutsche Bahn level crossings were recorded. This is considerable progress compared to 603 collisions in 1995, but the challenge remains - 94 percent of the accidents in this area affect cars. The reasons are often inattentiveness, carelessness or ignorance of the traffic situation, such as callcherklanke.de.

Bayern is the state with the most rail accidents. There were a total of 46 accidents at level crossings there in 2023, with about half of the 3,000 level crossings being uncomfortable. This illustrates how important your own education and security measures can be read, as in the Bavarian Radio. Edonisa Murati and her team are committed, for example, to cut back the vegetation on tracks, since they consider the side visibility at unsecured level crossings to be inadequate.

statistics at a glance

• 2023 there were 13,598 level crossings in Germany, a decline by over 50 % since 1994.
• Most accidents occur in unrestricted transitions, with over 95 % of human failure.
• The number of level crossings in Germany has been more than halved since 1950.

Overall, there is a community task to find solutions that sustainably optimize safety at level crossings. While many level crossings are now equipped with security systems, the unrestricted crossings are still a challenge for all road users. Future accidents can only be avoided through a joint commitment of private and public bodies. The incident in Braunschweig-Gliesmarode is an urgently needed wake-up call for all those responsible to do something about it.