Goods train accident at Gifhorn - Investigations against the railways employee temporarily halted
Approximately one and a half years after a severe train accident in Gifhorn, the prosecutor's office has temporarily halted investigations against a railway employee. The prosecutor's office offered the accused a fine in the three-digit range, which she has not paid yet, according to the investigating authority. The prosecutor's office assumes that the train dispatcher did not check the track between two freight trains before the accident. Previously, the "NDR" reported this.
On November 17, 2022, a train with 25 propane-filled tank wagons collided with another train that was stopping at a signal in the Landkreis Gifhorn. Four wagons overturned, and the locomotive driver was lightly injured. Emergency services took days to pump out the gas and extinguish it with a special device. The important railway connection between Hannover and Berlin was reopened on December 11. The Deutsche Bahn estimated the costs, including repairs, to be around three million Euros at the end of 2023.
The prosecutor's office investigated the train dispatcher for negligent bodily harm. Once she pays the fine, the proceedings will be definitively terminated, and there will be no indictment, it was stated.
- The railway accident in Gifhorn happened in the region of Lower Saxony, specifically in the Landkreis Gifhorn.
- Despite the halt in investigations, concerns about railway safety and criminality in traffic continue to be a focus in cities like Hannover and Hildesheim.
- The employee under investigation for the Gifhorn railway accident was offered a fine by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin.
- The railway network in Germany, including the line between Hannover and Berlin, is vital for the smooth flow of goods and people across the country.
- Although the train dispatcher did not pay the fine as of yet, the determination to pursue accountability for the accident remains strong throughout the railway community.
- The railway accident in Gifhorn served as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of carelessness in carrying out duties, such as checking the track between trains.
