After a near-train accident in Munich: waiting for the barrier
A nightmare situation: An S-Bahn is approaching a level crossing where several pedestrians and cars are standing. The train driver has the presence of mind to brake quickly and thus prevents a serious accident. This incident happened last week at the Fasanerie in Munich.
The reason for the near-collision: The barriers at the level crossing have been defective for months. Since then, railway employees have regularly secured the tracks with tape when a train passes through. On that evening, however, the fuse was missing – why is still unclear. One thing is certain: the repair of the barriers will take months. Other regions in Bavaria can also sing a song about this.
Annoyed residents of the Fasanerie: “Like in the Middle Ages”
Every minute the same game at the level crossing at the Fasanerie: as soon as a train approaches, the security personnel go into action. The Bahn employees secure the transition by hand with tapes. It’s been like this since last August.
At that time, a car driver crashed into the barrier system in an accident. According to Deutsche Bahn, it was badly damaged. Since then, residents have been waiting for a new barrier. “Just like in the Middle Ages,” says an annoyed woman who is waiting at the level crossing. Another passer-by adds: “The transition is so unsafe. They should think about how they can secure it better.”
New level crossing will probably not be operational until the middle of the year
The emergency braking incident last week shows that doubts about safety are justified. The railway has not yet commented on the incident. At the request of the BR, however, a spokesman said that the new automatic barrier system was still a long time coming: “Because it is an older level crossing and all components of the system are being completely rebuilt,” said the railway spokesman.
Existing signals must therefore also be adapted to the new technology. The railway expects that the new level crossing can go into operation in the middle of the year – almost a year after the barrier system was damaged.
Passenger association Pro Bahn has been underpassing for years
But it should never have gotten that far, critics say. The Pro Bahn passenger association, for example, has wanted an underpass at this point for years. “You should have started removing the level crossing 20 years ago,” says spokesman Andreas Barth.
But the city of Munich has not gotten going for years. At least the approval process for the tunnel is currently underway. The level crossing, which everyone is still waiting for, can then be dismantled in five years at the earliest, according to Andreas Barth.
Similar situation in other Bavarian places
In other places in Bavaria, too, the repair of barrier systems sometimes takes months. In Neukirchen am Inn in Lower Bavaria Bahn employees had to operate the barrier manually for over a year, until a new plant went into operation in October last year. In Fellheim im Unterallgäu, the level crossing was also irreparably damaged after an accident. The new facility should be ready in the second half of 2023 at the earliest, Deutsche Bahn announced. Until then, so-called “level crossing posts” will also be used here to secure the tracks manually.
It is difficult to say how many places in Bavaria are affected. At the request of the BR, the railway reports: “The number of level crossings at which mobile security personnel are deployed varies from day to day and week to week.” There is also no limit that determines how long a level crossing can be secured manually. However, the aim is to keep the time frame as short as possible, according to the railway.