Warning of black ice in Saxony: the train hits a tree

Created: 2022-12-19Updated: 2022-12-19 13:03

A road sign warns of black ice with a flashing light.

© Stefan Puchner/dpa/symbol image

When rain falls on frozen roads, there is a risk of black ice.

It was still relatively quiet on Saxony's streets on Monday morning.

But that could change.

In Lusatia, a train collides with a fallen tree.

Leipzig – In Saxony, there could be significant restrictions on road traffic due to black ice on Monday.

"We are preparing for traffic chaos when the first rain falls on the frozen roads," said a spokesman for the Saxon traffic warning service in the morning on request.

However, it remained relatively quiet until midday.

Only on the federal road 171 near Hennersdorf in the district of Saxon Switzerland in the Eastern Ore Mountains were several trucks stopped due to snowdrifts.

The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued a severe weather warning due to the acute danger of black ice.

A warm front will end the permafrost, but will bring rain with it, which will turn to black ice on the frozen ground, the DWD said.

"In the triangle between Leipzig, Chemnitz and Dresden, the ground temperatures are already in the plus range.

Black ice could only form on the smaller roads," said meteorologist Florian Engelmann.

On the other hand, cold air from the east is still dangerous, especially in the Vogtland, the Eastern Ore Mountains and the Lausitzer Bergland.

In the morning, a train on the Länderbahn near Neukirch (Bautzen district) crashed into a fallen tree.

The train driver was injured and taken to a hospital, said a spokeswoman for the state railway.

The tree had fallen over due to the storm or snow masses and had blocked the tracks.

According to the spokeswoman, the travelers got away with the horror.

They had to wait a good three hours on the train and were taken to Bischofswerda after the route was reopened.

The streets remained relatively quiet until midday.

According to the police directorates, there were isolated weather-related accidents, but mostly there was damage to the bodywork.

According to the transport company, the buses and trains in Saxony also ran largely trouble-free at least until noon.

But that is still a snapshot, said a spokeswoman for the Leipzig public transport company on request.

The freezing rain had temporarily slowed Deutsche Bahn down on Monday morning.

The company had initially informed that the maximum speed of the trains had been reduced.

A little later, according to Deutsche Bahn, the trains were back on the road at full speed.

Because of the predicted black ice, the Christmas market in Chemnitz was initially closed on Monday.

Only at noon will it be decided whether the Christmas market, including the Erzgebirge village and monastery Christmas, can be opened, as the city announced on Monday morning.

According to the current status, the earliest time for an opening is 1 p.m.

The weekly market on Ernst-Enge-Straße was closed on Monday.

dpa