Munich (dpa / lby) - Almost two months after the train accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the German train drivers' union (GDL) presented scenarios for possible causes. An unfortunate cooperation is conceivable, it said on Tuesday when a thesis paper was presented. It should help to clarify, said the Bavarian GDL chairman Uwe Boehm. "We just want things to be considered by the prosecutor."
One factor could have been the relocation of a torrent around 20 years ago; the stream now runs between the main road and the track. The water could have contributed to the instability of the very high railway embankment, explained the Hamburg local transport consultant Dieter Doege and Michael Jung from the environmental association Prellbock Altona.
In addition, double-decker wagons in curves with their higher center of gravity put particular strain on the outer rail and thus on the side of the embankment surrounded by the stream. If the track had been supplemented by a safety rail, deaths and serious injuries could possibly have been avoided. Even before the accident, there were indications from train drivers of possible problems on the track. In addition, Deutsche Bahn planned track work in the area; that came out of a construction site information. The question is whether it would not have been appropriate to set up a speed-restricted section.
"The railway infrastructure is ailing," conclude the authors. "The entire network must be renovated and modernized."
On June 3, a regional train in Bavaria from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich derailed. Four women and a 13-year-old died. 16 people were seriously injured.
Investigations into the cause of the accident are still ongoing. The railways did not comment on Tuesday – neither about the repair work nor about the possible extent of the damage or when rail traffic could be resumed.
