Bad Aibling rail accident

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Bad Aibling rail accident
ET 355, the westbound train, photographed in 2014
ET 355, the westbound train, photographed in 2014
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Date 9 February 2016
Time 06:47 CET (05:47 UTC)[1]
Location Bad Aibling, Bavaria
Country Germany
Rail line DB Netze Mangfall Valley Railway
Operator Bayerische Oberlandbahn "Meridian"
Type of incident Head-on collision
Cause Signalman's error
Statistics
Trains 2
Passengers ±150[1]
Deaths 12[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Injuries 85[1][3][4][5][8]
Damage 200 m (650 ft) track[9]

On 9 February 2016, two Meridian-branded passenger trains were involved in a head-on collision at Bad Aibling in southeastern Germany. Of approximately 150 people on board the two trains, 12 people died and 85 others were injured, including 24 seriously.[1][2][3][4][5][8][6]

Two months after the accident, investigators announced that it had been caused by a dispatcher who gave incorrect orders to the two trains while distracted by a game he was playing on his mobile phone.[10] The distraction further compounded his error when, realizing it, he tried to send emergency codes to the trains but entered the wrong combination into his computer.

Accident

File:Eisenbahnunfall von Bad Aibling.png
Location of the disaster
File:ET 325 Meridian Munich Hbf - Salzburg @ Munich Ost 09.03.14 (13247082815).jpg
ET 325, the eastbound train, photographed in 2014

The accident occurred just after 06:47 CET (05:47 UTC) on the single-track Mangfall Valley Railway (German: Mangfalltalbahn) on a curve between the stations of Kolbermoor and Bad Aibling-Kurpark close to the Bad Aibling sewage works in Bavaria.[1][11][12] As of 11 February 2016, a total of 11 people had died, including several railway employees. In total 85 people were injured; 24 injured seriously and 61 injured less seriously.[1][2][3][5][8][6][13][14][15][16]

The two trains were Stadler FLIRT3 multiple-units, operated under the Meridian brand by the Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB), a subsidiary of Transdev Germany.[17][18] The eastbound train was a six-car unit with 333 seats (ET 325), scheduled to run from Munich to Rosenheim, while the westbound train was a three-car unit with 158 seats (ET 355), scheduled to run from Rosenheim to Holzkirchen.[19][20] There were more than 150 passengers on board the two trains,[21] considerably fewer than usual because of Carnival Holidays.[22] The trains were equipped with a total of three train event recorders.[18] The line and both trains were equipped with the Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung (PZB) train protection system, which was designed to reinforce line-side signalling and prevent drivers from accidentally passing signals at danger.[23]

The eastbound and westbound trains were scheduled to pass each other at Kolbermoor railway station, with the westbound train (M 79506) towards the direction of Munich timetabled to wait for five minutes for the eastbound train from Munich (M 79505) to arrive.[24] The westbound train departed Kolbermoor on schedule but the eastbound train was four minutes behind schedule. Each train was travelling at about Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). at the time.[13]

Rescue operation

Bad Aibling rail accident
from Holzkirchen BSicon numN090.svg
level-crossing
27.8 Bad Aibling
level-crossing
28.6 Bad Aibling-Kurpark
level-crossing
Bad Aibling sewage works
30.3 Site of head-on collision
level-crossing
33.0 Kolbermoor
to Rosenheim
File:Verunglückter Meridian-Wagen und Einsatzfahrzeug am Mangfallkanal, 1.jpeg
One of the less-damaged carriages
File:Bahnhof Kolbermoor, Notfalltechnikzug der DB Netze, 1.jpeg
Emergency engineering train ready for operation in Kolbermoor

The rescue operation involved a total of approximately 700 emergency service workers,[25] including 180 firefighters, 215 Bavarian State Police officers, 50 Federal Police officers, 30 federal civil protection employees of Technisches Hilfswerk, and 200 rescuers from the Bavarian Red Cross, including Water Rescue and Mountain Rescue units.[25] A total of 11 helicopters took part in the rescue efforts. Air ambulances from both Germany and Austria were used to transport the injured to hospitals.[26]

The site of the accident was difficult to reach because it lies between the Stuckenholz forest and the canalised Mangfall river (Mangfallkanal). This made rescue work considerably more difficult, meaning rescue workers had to be transported by boat and casualty extraction supported by air ambulance.[27] Injured people were extracted by boat across the canalised Mangfall river to the opposite bank.[11]

Recovery operation

On 9 February 2016, two breakdown cranes belonging to the DB Netze Emergency Technical department (DB Netz Notfalltechnik) were dispatched from Fulda and Leipzig to assist in recovery and removal of the two damaged trains.[28] The crane from Fulda is capable of lifting 160 tonnes, and the second crane from Leipzig is capable of lifting 75 tonnes.[29]

Reaction

German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt visited the site of the accident. He said it was a "horrifying sight". Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said that it was "difficult to comprehend" how the accident happened.[13] Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "dismayed and saddened" by the crash.[13] German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated: "My deepest sympathy goes to their families."[30] Minister-President of Bavaria Horst Seehofer said "The whole of Bavaria has been shaken".[31]

As a result of the accident, the carnival celebrations on Shrove Tuesday in Rosenheim, Bad Aibling and the surrounding area were cancelled.[32] The traditional political debates on Ash Wednesday in Lower Bavaria were called off.[33]

Investigations

File:Stellwerk Bad Aibling.png
Dispatch office of Bad Aibling railway station, which is also in operation as a signalling centre for the railway stations in Kolbermoor, Heufeld and Bad Aibling-Kurpark

The German Rail Accident Investigation Agency (Eisenbahn-Unfalluntersuchungsstelle des Bundes, EUB) opened investigation number 04/2016 into the accident.[34] The German police opened a separate investigation.[4] Police confirmed that nine of the eleven deaths had been identified as being local men from the districts of Rosenheim and Traunstein aged 24–59.[35] The cause of this accident was unclear.[36] By the evening of 9 February 2016, Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt reported that two of the trains' three train event recorders had been recovered. The third was still located in one of the wedged train carriages.[37] On 12 February it was announced that the third event recorder had been recovered. Police said that the recorder was damaged, but attempts would be made to extract the data. Data from the other two recorders had thus far provided no indication of human error on the part of the train crew.[38]

In a press conference on 16 February 2016, the local prosecutor (Staatsanwalt) identified "human error" as the cause of the crash. A train dispatcher at the signalling centre in Bad Aibling had given a wrong instruction.[39] German investigators said they found no evidence of mechanical failure or technical defects that would have caused the crash.[40] The dispatcher will probably face charges of involuntary manslaughter and faces up to five years' imprisonment if found guilty by a court.[41] He is also being charged with gefährlicher Eingriff in den Bahnverkehr (dangerous interference with railroads), [42] which is punishable with up to ten years' imprisonment.[43]

File:Zs1 Ersatzsignal.svg
Ersatzsignal Zs1

A German railway main signal may be equipped with an additional Zs1 element (three white dots in a triangle shape). The train dispatcher can activate it, which turns all other signal aspects on the panel into a "Caution". When given Zs1, the train driver may press and hold the PZB equipment "command control" in the cab while moving the train across an active 2000-Hz emergency stop inductor — a warning bell sounds in the cab but the train is able to proceed. After clearing the stop signal (at a speed not exceeding 40 km/h (25 mph)) the train may continue. The replacement signal Zs1 is supposed to be used only in unusual circumstances when a train is blocked on a stop signal. There are sections in the rulebook on how and when it may be activated safely, but according to the local prosecutor these rules were not adhered to. The exact timing of actions and signals, as recorded on the train event recorders and at the signal center, as well as the radio protocols, are under investigation (as of 18 February 2016).[44][45]

In April 2016 it was revealed that the train dispatcher had been playing a game on his mobile phone at the time. After realizing he had made an error, allowing one of the trains to proceed, he dialled an incorrect number when trying to issue an emergency call. No technical fault existed with either the trains or the signalling system.[46] With these new findings the prosecutors reversed their initial assumption of "Augenblicksversagen" (lapse of attention) turning it into a clear "Pflichtverletzung" (breach of obligations) which faces heavier penalty — as a result an arrest warrant was issued, and the train dispatcher has been in pre-trial detention since 12 April 2016.[47][48]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/polizei-weiteres-opfer-von-zugunglueck-bei-bad-aibling-gestorben-1.2947692
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Dispatcher Playing With Cellphone Is Faulted in German Train Crash April 13, 2016
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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