Train accident in Garmisch: There is no public education!

Train accident in Garmisch: There is no public education!

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Deutschland - On June 3, 2022, a regional train near Garmisch-Partenkirchen derailed. In this tragic misfortune, five people lost their lives, including four women and a 13-year-old. More than 70 people were sometimes seriously injured. Despite the severity of the incident, the exact causes and the responsibilities for the accident are still unclear. The final report of the Federal Office for Railway Accident Investigation (BEU) is still pending, which makes it considerably more difficult. vienna.at also reports that a criminal process is attached to three train employees.

In April 2025, the indictment against two of the employees due to negligent killing and assault was approved for the main hearing. The process could clarify whether the affected section of the route between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Farchant would have had to be blocked and renovated earlier. So far it is unclear when the process can begin at all because there were personnel changes in the responsible court. A procedure against a third party was terminated for payment of 4,000 euros. Experts point out that the warning signs for the accident site may not have been adequately observed.

causes and safety aspects

The preliminary knowledge indicates defective railway thresholds with material weaknesses as the main cause of the accident. Some of these deficiencies only became visible when the examination emphasizes, as the Beu emphasizes in its report. In the course of these incidents, Deutsche Bahn plans to exchange around 480,000 concrete thresholds nationwide. At the same time, a multi -million dollar investment program for the routes in the Werdenfels and Oberland should be launched. This also includes over 400 additional construction sites in the rail network. Defects in the superstructure of the railway line were identified as the primary cause, which led to a break from the rail support. Tagesschau reports that the investigation into the cause of the accident has not yet been completed.

Some experts criticize the previous measures and call for a systematic renovation of the rail network. There is a persistent investment backlog that has been further reinforced by the knowledge of the accident. The railway infrastructure must meet the requirements for public security, which is legally anchored by the general railway law (AEG) in Germany. The BMV also emphasizes that security issues must not be behind economic aspects.

In addition, speculations regarding a possible connection between the accident and the laying of a torrent were made 20 years ago. In order to review this theory, the public prosecutor has commissioned an expert to examine the geological conditions in the accident area. As a precaution, the affected section of the route will be used at a lesser speed, while further examinations have shown that the railway embankment can be classified as safe.