Burning ghost train raced towards Salzburg – Salzburg
The ghost run of a burning, driverless locomotive only ended 180 meters before the border with Salzburg.
When ÖBB announced punctually at 6.30 a.m. that no train service was currently possible between Salzburg and Freilassing, this was primarily annoying for many commuters and travelers. After all, this is also where dying takes place west route, which connect Tyrol and Vorarlberg with the rest of Austria. No trains can run there at all until midday.
The reason is “a technical fault in a neighboring country”. How narrowly one slipped past a catastrophe should only die a little later following reports fire brigades show.
Clever course setting
The volunteer fire brigade in Freilassing writes on Facebook that there was an alarm about a burning locomotive shortly before 3 a.m. Shortly after the arrival of the first emergency services, the burning, unoccupied locomotive started moving towards Freilassing. So had to die Florianis Immediately start “chasing” the ghost train.
The already arrived emergency manager Deutsche Bahn reacted immediately and sent an internal message that an uncontrolled rail vehicle was on its way towards Freilassing station. Stopping a burning, driverless railway construction machine speeding towards Salzburg is extremely difficult.
Fortunately, it could be diverted to a siding at Freilassing station, which is also operated by ÖBB, thanks to a clever switch setting. There, after crossing the B20, the locomotive crashed into a buffer.
Railway line closed for half a day
Only now could the extinguishing work really begin and the railway line be closed. Luckily, it didn’t take long for the catenary to be grounded and disconnected either. While the fire brigade was able to report “fire out” at 9 a.m., the blockade continues into the midday hours.
The Bavarian Red Cross (Berchtesgadener Land district association) was also on site, describing in a report the “high-speed ghost locomotive” that could only be stopped shortly before the state border. Luckily there were no injuries to report. The property damage is enormous, experts estimate it at eight to nine million euros.