Rail traffic between Bevern and Arholzen stopped after a wild animal accident!

Rail traffic between Bevern and Arholzen stopped after a wild animal accident!

On Tuesday morning there was an accident with wild animals on the railway section between Bevern and Arholzen, which briefly stopped rail traffic. At around 10 a.m., the control center reported a possible collision between a regional train and a person. However, it turned out on site that a deer had been hit by the train. The local police forces and the rescue service from Holzminden found the deer lifeless in the track area. Animal hair was found on the locomotive, which confirmed the suspicion of an accident.

After the route was closed as a precaution, the emergency services searched the track area for further traces until around 10:30 a.m. The search went without any further relevant findings and the section was finally released again. This meant that rail traffic could continue without any further interruptions, which certainly pleased the passengers.

Wildlife accidents: A widespread problem

Accidents involving wild animals are not a rare phenomenon and not only lead to significant problems in rail traffic, but also cause unnecessary animal suffering. According to information from Hunter Magazine Deutsche Bahn, in collaboration with the hunters' association, tested measures to reduce such incidents. On a test section of the ICE route between Frankfurt and Cologne, where the number of accidents involving wildlife was reduced by around a third, 300 visual-acoustic wildlife warning devices were installed.

These game alarms are tiny devices about the size of an outstretched hand that are mounted on railway poles. They react to headlights and train noises. When a train approaches, they emit a high-frequency whistle and a bluish light to scare off wild animals such as deer and wild boar. These measures have also helped reduce pressure on train drivers, who often experience psychological stress when they have to collide with wild animals.

Statistics and effectiveness of measures

On the relevant section of the ICE route between Wiesbaden-Medenbach and Niederselters, which is considered a hotspot for collisions with wild animals, there are around 30 collisions every year, with 80 percent of these incidents involving deer and 20 percent involving wild boars. The wooded areas between the railway line and Autobahn 3 offer ideal retreats for wild animals, which increases the danger. Despite the regularity of collisions in rail transport, these are rarer than road accidents, but they usually have more serious consequences.

Professionals like that Tagesschau team, report that the wildlife alerters make a noticeable contribution to reducing accidents involving wildlife and therefore not only keep an eye on the safety of travelers, but also the well-being of the animals. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the future, especially with regard to the use of such innovative technologies.