ÖBB comment after train breakdown near Vienna

After a train was stranded in the Hadersdorf railway tunnel on Saturday, an ÖBB spokesperson told the APA regarding the timeline of the evacuation that "a lot went wrong." The ICE was on its way to Hamburg, but due to a technical fault, it could no longer continue. 400 passengers had to endure several hours without power. "This must not happen again," the ÖBB are already analyzing the incident, it was said on Monday.

ÖBB Were Operators on the Route in Austria

The breakdown occurred with a Deutsche Bahn ICE, but the ÖBB were the operators on the route in Austria. In hindsight, the passengers should have been evacuated earlier through the emergency exits, the ÖBB spokesperson further stated. In principle, passengers are safe on the train - even during the incident on Saturday, there was no danger to the passengers at any time. In tunnels, the risk of injury is higher. The union via demanded on Monday in a statement "a clear analysis and setting of measures - both for the practical procedures in emergencies and for the organizational structures within the ÖBB."

Because the train was stranded in a curve, it could not be towed as planned with an auxiliary train. With the help of the fire department, the passengers were then evacuated to a replacement train. However, some guests "contrary to the instructions of the staff" left the train. Since there was a risk that they were in the tunnel, the power had to be turned off for safety reasons. The tunnel was then searched for people. This led to further significant delays and the rerouting of long-distance trains via the "old West route."

"Food and Drinks Distributed as Available"

Since there was no power for the toilet facilities in the replacement train, they were "unusable from a certain point," the ÖBB further stated. The railway operator did not provide information on how long the passengers had to endure without toilets. In the time until the evacuation, the onboard service staff of Deutsche Bahn "distributed food and drinks as available." According to rescue services, two passengers had to be treated on an outpatient basis on Saturday.

In the evening, the replacement train was finally evacuated, and the passengers were brought out of the tunnel through emergency exits. According to the fire department, the evacuation measures were completed shortly before 8:00 PM. However, the people were "significantly earlier" out of the tunnel. The ÖBB spokesperson did not specify an exact time. The guests were brought back to Vienna. The railway line was fully reopened on Sunday at 1:14 AM. The stranded train will be "soon" transferred to Germany. On Sunday, the ÖBB announced they would "reimburse at least 100 percent of the cost of the train ticket."

vida Demands Measures

The union vida demanded measures on Monday. "If an evacuation in the tunnel takes several hours, then it is not just a technical problem," Olivia Janisch, deputy chairwoman of the railway sector in vida, was quoted in a statement. "There are apparently issues to be addressed that have never occurred in an integrated company like the ÖBB before." It was further stated that there needs to be sufficiently qualified personnel who can act professionally in exceptional cases.

(APA/Red)

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