Accident in Bavaria

Train with 250 passengers crashes into felled tree

As the tree pushed the overhead line onto the train, it was live.(Bild: Bundespolizeiinspektion München)

A train carrying around 250 passengers has crashed into a felled tree in Pöcking in Upper Bavaria. According to the police on Friday, one passenger was taken to hospital with a suspected heart attack. The other passengers were uninjured. The train was no longer roadworthy.

A 64-year-old man had reportedly felled at least one tree near the tracks, which then fell onto the overhead line and the tracks. Despite emergency braking, the train driver was unable to avoid a collision.

As the tree was pushing the overhead line onto the train, the train was live. A railroad emergency manager had to ground the train before it was pulled back into Starnberg station. The 250 passengers were able to disembark there.

The line between Starnberg and Tutzing was completely closed for four hours. The damage is estimated at around 35,000 euros. The German Federal Police are now investigating for dangerous interference with rail traffic.