Shipwreck in Elsfleth - Damaged Hunting Bridge: Economy and Politics Consult
After the collision between a inland waterway vessel and the railway bridge in Elsfleth in the Wesermarsch district, representatives of the ports, the railway, and politics are seeking a swift resolution. The Niedersachsen Ministry of Economics and Transport plans to provide information on the results of the talks and the next steps by Thursday. The bridge has great significance for the region, providing access to the ports on the left Weser bank for rail freight transport and for shipping.
Railway track closed, Ships sailing again
The German Railways are reportedly working under pressure to repair the railway track. However, the repair is expected to take several weeks. For the railway line between Berne and Brake (Under Weser), the Nordwestbahn has initially set up a replacement bus service until the coming Sunday. The company notes: "An end to the disruption is currently not foreseeable." Passengers are asked to pay attention to the changed travel times. The disruption also affects rail freight transport. Trains can currently not traverse the track.
After the Hunte in Elsfleth was initially closed for shipping traffic due to the accident, inland waterway vessels can now sail there. However, the passage under the bridge is only single-lane for one ship at a time. The Traffic Control Center Bremen manages the traffic, as a spokesperson for the Water Police Inspection Oldenburg stated. The ship captains must continue to pay close attention to the water level indicators and wait if necessary until the passage under the bridge is free.
Significant damage to the bridge
The inland waterway vessel collided with the railway bridge on Tuesday. In the process, the bridge house of the tanker was almost completely torn off, the bridge and the overhead line were damaged. The ship's captain and another crew member were slightly injured and taken to the hospital.
According to initial investigations, the captain misjudged the clearance height, and an investigation is now being conducted against him for endangering railway and shipping traffic. The Water Police spokesperson stated that the water level indicators at the Hunte are visible. "The ship captains can read the clearance height in real time at four analog bridge pegs and plan their passage independently," explained a spokesperson for the Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSA) Weser-Jade-North Sea. The water level indicators are also transmitted via radio. "The ship captains are obliged to listen to these messages," said the Water Police spokesperson.
The damage should be repaired as soon as possible, as the railway announced. First, the bridge superstructure, the rails, and the overhead line must be rebuilt. Subsequently, a new bridge section can be placed using a floating crane. After that, the rail tracks and overhead line installations, including the signaling and safety technology, must be rebuilt and connected. If the technology works, the railway bridge can then be reopened for traffic.
Ports cut off from traffic again
Brake's mayor Michael Kurz (SPD) hopes for a quick repair so that the ports on the left Weser bank can be served again. "Millions of tons of cargo are transported to and from the ports," he told NDR. The state-owned port infrastructure company Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts) expects revenue losses in the millions and sees jobs in Brake at risk.
Due to a shipping accident in February, NPorts estimates that the harbor in Brake incurred damages amounting to approximately one million Euro. A barge collided with the bridge and caused significant damage, necessitating the construction of a provisional bridge. It is also reported that the ship's captain misjudged the clearance height, and a lawsuit against him is anticipated.
The now defective temporary bridge had been in operation since the end of April. After weeks of standstill, regular ferry traffic between Berne and Elsfleth resumed at the end of April, making the harbors in Nordenham and Brake accessible by rail.
However, for Oldenburg, the temporary bridge was not a solution. The harbor has been cut off since the first accident in February. The construction of a new rotating bridge may possibly take years - and the damage could quickly reach the two-million-Euro mark, Oldenburg fears.
- The collision last Tuesday involved an inland ship and the Railway bridge in Elsfleth, situated in the Wesermarsch district of Lower Saxony.
- Ships are now sailing again along the Weser, but the repair of the railway track is expected to take weeks, affecting the railway line between Berne and Brake.
- Due to the collision, the Hunte was initially closed for shipping traffic, but inland waterway vessels can now pass single-lane, under the supervision of the Traffic Control Center Bremen.
- The inland waterway vessel damaged the bridge house of the tanker during the collision, injuring the ship's captain and another crew member, who were taken to the hospital.
- German Railways are under pressure to repair the significant damage to the bridge, the rails, the overhead line, and the signaling and safety technology quickly.
- The ship's captain is under investigation for endangering railway and shipping traffic, with initial investigations suggesting misjudgment of the clearance height.
- Water level indicators at the Hunte are visible and transmitted via radio, with ship captains obliged to listen to these messages to ensure safe passage under the bridge.
- Oldenburg fears that the construction of a new rotating bridge in response to the second accident this year could take years and result in damage costs exceeding two million Euros.
- NPorts, the state-owned port infrastructure company, estimates that the harbor in Brake incurred damages of approximately one million Euro due to another shipping accident in February, resulting in a lawsuit against the ship's captain.
- The now defective temporary bridge, installed after the February collision, had been in operation since the end of April, enabling regular ferry traffic between Berne and Elsfleth, but the defect has once again cut off Oldenburg's harbor from traffic.
