Wesermarsch District - After another shipping accident: Huntebridge still closed
After a shipping accident at a railway bridge on the Hunte river in Elsfleth, in the Wesermarsch district, the bridge is still closed for trains. A spokeswoman for the railway stated that there is currently traffic with buses instead. Whether and when trains can cross the bridge again needs to be checked. The decision on this will be made at the earliest during the middle of the week, she said.
On Tuesday afternoon, a barge collided with the railway bridge. The ship's captain and another crew member were taken to the hospital with light injuries, according to the water police. The bridge house of the tanker was almost completely torn off during the accident.
The structure in question is a temporary bridge, as a barge had collided with the regular railway bridge in February. The 110-meter long barge had then rammed into the structure and caused significant damage. The temporary bridge went into operation at the end of April. According to initial findings by the water police, both the ship and the bridge have sustained heavy damage. It was initially unclear how the accident occurred. The extent of the damage to the ship and the bridge was also initially unknown.
- The ship involved in the accident was an inland ship, commonly used for transportation in the Wesermarsch District of Lower Saxony.
- The railway and shipping communities in Elsfleth have been affected by the closure of the railway bridge due to the recent accidents.
- The hunting season for waterfowl in the area has been affected by the disruption of both railway and shipping traffic.
- Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the second accident involving a ship and the railway bridge in Elsfleth within six months.
- While the shipping industry waits for the bridge to reopen, alternative routes are being utilized to ensure uninterrupted freight transportation in Lower Saxony.
- The cost of repairing the damaged railway bridge and ship will likely be substantial, impacting budgets and schedules for both rail and shipping industry professionals in the Wesermarsch area.
