- Vehicle goes over bridge and lands on railway track, resulting in closure of the track.
At a railway station situated west of Cologne in Kerpen, an incident occurred involving a truck that plummeted from a bridge onto the tracks. The 42-year-old driver sustained severe injuries during this midday mishap, necessitating intensive care unit treatment in a hospital, as per the police report. A drug test conducted on him yielded positive results, prompting the collection of a blood sample.
The surge of electricity lines on the track were also reportedly impacted. Consequently, the railway line connecting Cologne and Aachen is presently under lockdown. "The truck must first be retrieved to clear the tracks," a Deutsche Bahn representative communicated to Deutsche Presse-Agentur. It's been established that the electrical lines have been damaged across several tracks. Further damage to the tracks or technical infrastructure can only be assessed post-recovery of the truck.
Recovery scheduled
"We are currently planning the retrieval using a crane through the railway and hope that the route will be clear as soon as possible," the railway representative mentioned. However, it's presently impossible to predict when this will occur. The truck was carrying 40 tons of gravel. According to the police, there's no threat from this. However, the collision has caused damage to the truck's fuel tank, resulting in a fuel leak.
Owing to the track closure, there have been delays and cancellations in long-distance train services. ICE trains between Cologne and Brussels are being diverted and are additionally delayed by approximately 90 minutes. IC and ICE trains heading towards or originating in Aachen are already beginning and ending in Cologne. The stops in Düren and Aachen are being skipped over.
As per the disruption forecast from DB InfraGo, the track is likely to remain closed until at least the end of the day. However, it's expected that the disruptions will carry over into the next day's operations and continue beyond," the national transport company National Express conveyed upon request.
According to the police, a train carrying around 60 passengers was nearby the incident site. Since the electricity lines had to be grounded for safety reasons, this train was unable to continue its journey. Nevertheless, the train was evacuated without any injuries after being attended to by the fire brigade.
Witnesses allegedly observed the truck swerve off the road on the bridge around 11:50 a.m., break through the bridge railing, and fall onto the tracks. The cause of this incident remains undetermined, a spokesperson confirmed. Investigations have been initiated and will continue. Disruptions to both rail and road traffic are unavoidable.
The truck that caused the incident was heading towards Cologne before it unfortunate events occurred. Due to the truck's location on the tracks near Cologne, several trains have been rerouted or delayed, affecting travel plans for many commuters and tourists planning to visit Cologne.
