Dahlerau train disaster facts for kids
The Dahlerau train disaster was a terrible train accident that happened in Germany on May 27, 1971. It took place in a town called Dahlerau, which is part of Radevormwald. This accident involved a passenger train full of students and a heavy freight train. It was one of the worst train accidents in German history.
Contents
What Happened on That Day?
The Journey Begins
On the evening of May 27, 1971, a passenger train was carrying many students. These students were from a school in Radevormwald. They were coming back from a school trip to Bremen. The train was traveling on a railway line from Wuppertal to Radevormwald.
Around 9:00 PM, the passenger train left the railway station in Wuppertal-Beyenburg. It was running about 30 minutes late. The train was only a few minutes away from the Dahlerau station.
The Freight Train's Path
At the same time, a freight train was coming from Radevormwald. It was heading towards Wuppertal. This freight train had just arrived outside the Dahlerau station.
The railway line only had one track in this area. Because of this, one train had to wait for the other to pass. The freight train was supposed to wait in the station for the passenger train.
A Confusing Signal
The person in charge at the station, called a dispatcher, had an important job. He had to go outside and show a red lantern to the freight train. This red light would tell the freight train to stop and wait. There were no signals in the station to do this automatically.
No one knows exactly what happened next. The freight train did not stop. It went right through the station. It continued onto the single track where the passenger train was coming. The driver of the freight train later said that the dispatcher had shown him a green light. A green light means it is safe to go.
The Crash
The dispatcher quickly realized his mistake. He tried to use emergency signals to stop the freight train. But it was too late. The train disappeared around a curve. He rushed to call the station in Wuppertal-Beyenburg. However, the passenger train had already left that station.
The dispatcher knew a crash was about to happen. He immediately called the police. About 800 meters north of the station, the two trains crashed into each other. The passenger train was made of light railbuses. The freight train's locomotive was five times heavier. Because of this, the passenger train was crushed to one-third of its original length.
Rescue Efforts and Victims
Police, firefighters, and ambulances arrived very quickly. Rescuing people was difficult because the crash happened on a hillside. Many parents of the students also came to the scene. They were desperately searching for their children.
In total, 46 people died in the accident. Most of them, 41, were students. Two teachers, one mother traveling with the children, and two railway workers also died. Only one person walked away from the crash without any injuries. 25 people were injured, many of them seriously. So many people had died that their bodies had to be placed in a gymnasium.
After the Accident
The Investigation
The dispatcher died a few weeks after the crash, which made the investigation harder. Because the dispatcher could not be questioned, finding out exactly what happened was difficult. The investigation took about a year.
In the end, it was decided that human error caused the accident. No one could figure out the exact details of that evening. So, the case never went before a court. The passenger train was too badly damaged and had to be destroyed. The freight train's locomotive was repaired. It continued to be used until 2001.
Remembering the Victims
The victims were buried on June 2, 1971. More than 10,000 people attended the funeral. All shops in Radevormwald were closed on that day. Many important people came to the funeral. These included the Chancellor Willy Brandt and the Minister of Transport.
The victims were buried together in a large grave. This grave is in the Radevormwald cemetery. Later, a memorial was built near the graves to remember those who died.
Changes After the Disaster
The Deutsche Bundesbahn was the company that ran the trains. After the accident, they made important changes. They changed the lanterns used by dispatchers. The new lanterns would not show a red light anymore. This was to make sure that red and green signals could not be confused.
They also built newer versions of the railbus that crashed. Some people thought the original railbuses were built too lightly. The new ones were made much sturdier. The railway line from Wuppertal to Radevormwald was closed in 1976.
Images for kids
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V100 engine, the same type as used on the freight train
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Railbus of the model involved in the accident
