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Stored and cut wagons near Garmisch: five people died, dozens were injured
Photo: Tobias Hase / dpa
Exactly one week ago, in a curve north of Garmisch, three wagons fell off the track at full speed - in the pile of bent steel and shattered windows, five people died and around 40 were injured.
The number of victims could have been even higher if the regional train number 59458 had been fully occupied.
But at the time of the derailment last Friday at around 12:15 p.m., only 140 people were spread across several double-decker cars.
Rather few passengers for the fact that it was the last day of school in Bavaria and that the 9-euro offer from Deutsche Bahn attracted those who wanted to travel.
The cause of the accident is still unclear.
The investigations are complex, the special commission "train" is still questioning witnesses and examining the accident site at kilometer 97.5 near the village of Burgrain between Garmisch and Farchant.
The responsible public prosecutor's office in Munich II is investigating three railway employees on suspicion of negligent homicide.
These are probably the train driver, the dispatcher and a person responsible for the route from DB Netze, without the public prosecutor's office confirming these assignments.
The fact that the three employees are under investigation does not necessarily mean that there are concrete indications of mistakes by these people.
Because the formal responsibility of the employees covers a very wide range of conceivable causes of accidents.
Whether the three or any of them even had an individual part in it is unclear.
There are no indications of direct misconduct on the part of those involved
The focus is not on "operational procedures," says Moritz Metzler, spokesman for the investigation center for railway accidents.
"There are no indications that any mistakes were made here." Up to four experts from the Bonn authorities inspected the scene of the accident and the crashed regional train this week.
They have now returned and are evaluating their measurements, as well as information provided by Deutsche Bahn.
The investigations are independent of the police and the public prosecutor's office.
For the cause, this means: In contrast to other rail accidents, the Garmisch accident is probably not about someone crossing a signal or a section of track being opened by mistake.
The police stated that the speed limit was probably not exceeded.
Evaluating the box for electronic trip registration is also part of the investigation.
The investigative body's investigations focus on "infrastructure" and "vehicles," explains spokesman Metzler.
That means, for example: track and track bed, the subsoil of the railway embankment, the pushing electric locomotive, the control car and the wagons in between.
"It's also about looking at maintenance documents," says Metzler.
The accident expert does not want to further narrow down possible reasons and points out that accidents often involve several factors.
The train is silent
Deutsche Bahn explains on request: "We ask for your understanding that we are currently unable to comment on this due to the ongoing investigation.
Of course, we will do everything we can to support the investigating authorities in clarifying the cause of the accident.«
So experts and railroaders can only guess, for example in relevant forums on the Internet.
A track fault may have played a role.
Or the wear and tear in the left turn where the regional train derailed.
Different forces act on the rail track in curves than in straight sections.
It is striking that a double-decker train was involved in the accident, whereas otherwise mainly single-decker trains run between Garmisch and Munich.
Such a team is heavier and possibly more vulnerable.
Like other routes in Bavaria, the Werdenfelsbahn route is heavily used as a connection to the south.
It has a single track, but is technically relatively modern, with concrete sleepers and tension brackets.
An overview of the Deutsche Bahn that is accessible on the Internet shows upcoming track position corrections, but for a section of the route further north.
It is unclear whether other planned track renewals are related to the accident.
According to a listing by the railways, no speed reduction was planned for the accident site.
So even on the day of the official mourning, many questions will remain unanswered.
The churches have called for an ecumenical service in Partenkirchen on Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Markus Söder has ordered mourning flags throughout Bavaria.
The route has not yet been released, only then can repairs to the track and the overhead line begin.
The Bonn investigative body only has to present its report in a year, which will also contain recommendations for improving rail safety as a result of the accident.
If the accident scenario has still not been clarified by then, there is at least an interim report.
