Kirchhain (dpa/lhe) - A driverless tractor rolled onto the tracks near Kirchhain (Marburg-Biedenkopf district) and collided with a freight train there. In the accident on Wednesday evening, the locomotive partially jumped off the tracks and parts of the overhead line were torn off, the police said. The train driver was therefore slightly injured.
There was no driver in the tractor at the time of the accident, police said. Accordingly, the tractor was parked above the railway line and rolled onto the tracks from there. Why he rolled off is still being determined. The train driver initiated emergency braking, but was unable to prevent the collision.
According to a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn, the regional trains returned prematurely, and two long-distance trains were diverted. Attempts are being made to set up a replacement bus service. It is unclear how long the ban will remain in place.
