Hi everybody.
The head-on train crash in southern Germany that killed 11 people and injured more than 80 others on the 9th of February upon which this thread was started, was caused by a train dispatcher’s “human error”, a state prosecutor has advised. The prosecutor further stated that that a criminal investigation had been launched against the 39-year-old railway employee on suspicion of negligent homicide, bodily harm and interference with rail traffic.
The two trains collided on a single track and the investigation team believe the dispatcher had given “a special signal which should not have been given” which had the effect of overriding the automated stopping signal. After the dispatcher realised his error, he had attempted to make two emergency calls to try to stop the trains but was unable to prevent the collision. The prosecutor further commented “ If the employee had behaved according to the rules he had been trained in and was obliged to carry out, the trains would not have collided”.
The above incident is one of the largest train accidents in recent German railway history. The dispatcher is at present on full pay suspension from his employment. However, If convicted, the he could face up to five years in prison.
Bill