Trial starts after fatal train accident: Who is responsible?

Trial starts after fatal train accident: Who is responsible?

Today, October 27, 2025, the focus is once again on the reactions to the tragic train accident near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which claimed five lives in June 2022. On October 28, 2025, the trial will begin before the Munich II Regional Court against two railway employees who are accused of negligent homicide. This reports np-coburg.de.

The accident in which a regional train derailed had devastating consequences: five people, including four women and a 13-year-old, lost their lives and 78 others were injured, 16 of them seriously. The material damage to vehicles and infrastructure is over 4.75 million euros. An internal report came to the conclusion that dilapidated concrete sleepers, which had become unsustainable due to chemical reactions, were the primary cause of the accident.

Investigations and responsibility

Deutsche Bahn's investigation, which took three years and used around ten million data points, found that the accident could have been avoided. 60 people involved were interviewed and the operational staff on site were classified as responsible. According to an internal report, board members at the time also bore significant responsibility. The responsible railway subsidiary DB Netz, which no longer exists in its old form, responded inadequately to the warnings regarding the defective sleepers, explained tagesschau.de.

A total of three wagons of the regional train derailed on June 3, 2022, further underlining the tragedy of the incident. The Re have now also become active and have announced consequences. Philipp Nagl, the chairman of DB InfraGO, expressed concern about the results and emphasized that measures should be taken against people acting in breach of duty. Claims for compensation against former board members are also being planned.

Prevention as top priority

In order to avoid similar incidents in the future, the railway has launched an extensive program to replace concrete sleepers. To date, two million high-risk thresholds have already been replaced and further audits are planned in other infrastructure areas. In addition, training and awareness-raising measures for staff are currently being carried out in order to better understand the risks.

The report from a railcar driver at the scene of the accident informing about a problem was not passed on and, as the Federal Bureau of Railway Accident Investigation (BEU) states, could not have been directly relevant to the accident. Nevertheless, the incident remains a warning example of the need for functioning communication within the railway.

With 19 court dates planned until January 15, 2026, the trial against the railway employees will send an important signal. The Munich II Regional Court could not only provide clarification, but also contribute to a rethinking of Deutsche Bahn's safety culture and practice.