Teenager falls on tracks: underground driver saves with emergency braking!

Teenager falls on tracks: underground driver saves with emergency braking!

Wien, Österreich - On May 16, 2025, a dramatic incident in Vienna occurred in the subway. A 17-year-old fell unhappily into the track bed and was hit by an approaching train. The train driver noticed the teenager and immediately initiated an emergency braking, but could not stop in time. The train grasped the youngsters, who had previously been able to save himself into a safety niche and injured him on the leg. The injured person was immediately admitted to a hospital. As a consequence of the incident, the subway operation was interrupted between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. for one hour to clarify the situation and take the necessary measures.

This incident has again disassembled the discussion about security in Viennese subway stations. Safety niches that can be found every 20 meters in the stations and offer a deep shelter have proven that they can save lives. Statistically, people were saved in 27 out of 31 track falls in 2024 by these niches. In response to the incident, the traffic councilor announced an extended security concept that is intended to complement existing measures such as yellow floor markings and digital warning systems with motion sensors in order to further increase the safety of passengers.

Review of the Viennese subway

Before we devote ourselves to the new security measures, it is worth taking a look at the history of the Vienna U-Bahn system. 40 years ago, on February 25, 1978, the subway age in Vienna was heralded with the opening of the U1 route from Karlsplatz to Reumannplatz. These had to overcome many prejudices at first because the older generation was afraid of moving in tunnels that aroused memories of the Second World War.

The Viennese subway has developed over the years. With the first women in the cockpit, Claudia Polaschek, who started service in 1992, another step was taken towards equality. In the past four decades, the network expansion has been implemented according to plan; Every year there were an average of three new stations and two kilometers of distance. Current projects include the extension of the U2 and the construction of the U5, which continues to underline the modernity and importance of the subway system.

in comparison: Berlin subway

parallel to the Viennese subway, the history of the Berlin subway also went through an exciting development. Germany's first subway started in 1902 and developed rapidly over the years. At the time of the Second World War, the subway remained almost continuously in operation and served as an important shelter. After the reunification, many of the train stations and wagons damaged by the war were restored and modernized.

Nowadays, the Berlin subway connects almost 150 kilometers and 170 stations and is therefore an indispensable part of urban life in Berlin. The current system with a clock of usually 90 seconds shows how public transport has improved over the years and what challenges had to be overcome.

Both cities, Vienna and Berlin, continuously invest in the security and expansion of their subway networks in order to meet the requirements of a growing population. However, these current events, such as the track in Vienna, repeatedly call up the need for caution and remedy.