Rail expert calls for better protection after ICE accident
Following the ICE accident in Upper Bavaria, rail expert Markus Hecht is calling for better protection against train collisions in Germany. The head of the Rail Vehicles department at the Technical University of Berlin is calling for the introduction of a type of "derailment switch" that has not yet been approved in Germany. This type of switch derails trains that unexpectedly run onto a main track before a collision. The design is also intended to ensure that trains derailed in this way lean to the side away from the main track.
In response to a dpa inquiry, Hecht wrote on Sunday that more serious train accidents during high-speed journeys are avoided in Germany by using protective switches. "As this is very expensive and requires a lot of space, it is not prescribed for simple situations with a low potential level of damage, such as at the scene of the accident." On Friday, a regional train collided with an ICE train at Reichertshausen station between Munich and Ingolstadt.
The derailment points or "single-tongue protection points" commonly used abroad are not permitted in Germany. "But they would be much better, as they are much cheaper, take up less space and require less maintenance."
"I have often suggested that the cheaper and also more effective, i.e. better solutions such as derailment switches or single-tongue protection switches should also be introduced in Germany," wrote Hecht. "But the Federal Railway Authority cannot be persuaded."
The cause of the accident is still unknown and the federal police are investigating. In particular, it is unclear whether it was a technical defect or human error. The Federal Police want to question the two train drivers and the dispatcher as witnesses. "This happens when signaling terms are not observed and the train protection system does not work for whatever reason," explained Hecht. "Train protection triggers emergency braking when speeds are too high and when signals showing "Stop" are passed. The train protection system may have been defective or bypassed."
According to the railroad company, the trains had touched each other at a switch at around 2.15 p.m. on Friday. According to the police, the regional train had just left the station when it collided with the ICE train passing through. Several people were slightly injured.
In the aftermath of the ICE accident in Upper Bavaria, there have been calls for implementing derailment switches to prevent such collisions in the future. Despite their effectiveness and cost-efficiency, derailment points or "single-tongue protection points" are not currently allowed in Germany due to regulatory constraints.
Source: www.dpa.com
