Train chaos after fire in Gerwisch: delays and diversions await travelers!

Train chaos after fire in Gerwisch: delays and diversions await travelers!

The effects of a fire in the signal box near Gerwisch are currently being felt by many rail passengers. At the end of September, a fire devastated the technical system, forcing Deutsche Bahn to completely overhaul the section between Magdeburg and Berlin. The reconstruction is estimated to take a whole year, which poses major challenges for travelers. While the affected section is not completely closed according to the railway, but is “accessible to a limited extent”, train traffic remains almost at a standstill. Two hourly regional trains in particular, including the popular RE1 line, are affected.

For commuters and travelers, this means they have to switch to buses and allow significantly more time to reach their destinations. The railway admits that the excess passengers cannot be managed with replacement buses, which leads to the frustration of many. Long-distance traffic was preferred on weekends in order to take into account the fewer freight trains. As a result, freight transport can get going again under strict operational conditions.

Signal box problems also in the Ruhr area

A similar picture can be seen in North Rhine-Westphalia. A fire in a signal box on the busy railway line between Duisburg and Essen also leads to massive delays and diversions. Travelers on local and long-distance trains have to expect delays of up to 30 minutes at times, while some trains are canceled completely. Here too, it is unclear how long this disruption will last. The fire broke out on Sunday morning and the extinguishing work was not completed until the afternoon. The cause of the fire remains a mystery there too, although the fire brigade quickly took appropriate measures.

However, Deutsche Bahn is also faced with another challenge in this tense situation: an incident in Lehrte, Lower Saxony, where a fire in the signal box led to additional delays on the route between Hanover and Berlin. There is also talk of vandalism there, which further complicates the situation for many travelers.

Consequences for long-distance and regional transport

• Betroffene Strecken:
  • Magdeburg-Berlin
  • Duisburg-Essen
  • Hannover-Berlin
• Verspätungen:
  • Fernverkehr: 20-30 Minuten (Ruhrgebiet)
  • Nahverkehr: 10-20 Minuten (Ruhrgebiet)
  • Hannover-Berlin: rund 25 Minuten
• Gütersituation:
  • Güterverkehr unter besonderen betrieblichen Sicherungsmaßnahmen
  • Weniger Güterzüge am Wochenende

Given these circumstances, travelers have no choice but to face the chaos and take a look at the current situation reports before departure. Deutsche Bahn says it is working to resolve the problems as quickly as possible and points out that due to the circumstances, travelers should be careful to allow enough time.

How the situation will develop in the coming weeks remains to be seen. However, reporting on the incidents already shows that all rail traffic in Germany is suffering greatly from the recent incidents - and travelers have to prepare for many weeks of restrictions. While the search for the cause of the fires continues, it remains to be seen what Deutsche Bahn will do to address the ongoing problems. [MDR]. ZDF