Bad Aibling rail accident facts for kids
The Bad Aibling rail accident was a serious train crash. It happened on a railway line near Bad Aibling, Bavaria, Germany. This accident took place on 9 February 2016. Two trains crashed head-on, meaning they hit each other from opposite directions. This happened on a single-track line. Twelve people died, and many others were hurt.
The Railway Line
The accident happened on the railway line between Holzkirchen and Rosenheim. This line is in Bavaria. Most of this railway line has only one track. This means trains usually have to wait at stations to let other trains pass.
The line had a special security system. This system was working correctly when the accident happened. Also, the line had a modern radio system called GSM-R. This was added in 2007. Some parts of the line use automatic block signals to keep trains safe.
Different people control the trains on this line. The control station for the area where the accident happened is in Bad Aibling. The entire railway system had been checked just one week before the crash. Everything was found to be working perfectly.
How the Accident Happened
One of the trains left Kolbermoor on time. It was heading towards Holzkirchen. This train then entered the single-track part of the line. The other train was running about four minutes late.
The accident happened because of a mistake made by a person. The person in charge gave permission for a train to pass a signal. They said the signal was broken. This meant that both trains were on the same track. They were heading towards each other.
The train drivers could not see this danger. There is a long curve in the track at that spot. The person in charge in Bad Aibling soon realized their mistake. They quickly sent out emergency braking orders using the GSM-R radio system. The first order was sent 36 seconds before the crash.
However, the person did not use the correct buttons. So, these emergency orders did not reach the train drivers. Instead, they went to other railway staff. The accident happened at almost 6:47 AM local time. The emergency braking only started one second before the collision. The trains were moving at speeds of 52 and 87 kilometers per hour.
Both train drivers died in the accident. In total, twelve people were killed. Eighty-seven people were injured.
About 800 people helped with the rescue effort. The rescue was very hard. The crash site was difficult to reach by road. There was a steep hill on one side. On the other side was a canal with no road access.
The place where this accident happened is very close to another similar train crash. That earlier accident happened in 1945.
Images for kids
-
One of the less-damaged carriages
-
Emergency engineering train ready for operation in Kolbermoor
-
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
See also
In Spanish: Accidente ferroviario de Bad Aibling para niños
