Accident at the level crossing: Deutsche Bahn reacts to safety risks!

Accident at the level crossing: Deutsche Bahn reacts to safety risks!

A serious accident at the Bremer Straße level crossing in Osterholz-Scharmbeck is currently causing a stir. On October 20th there was a collision between a Nordwestbahn regional train and a car that entered the level crossing despite the barriers being open. The driver of the car was injured. These incidents highlight safety at level crossings in Germany and the measures Deutsche Bahn is planning to minimize the risk of such accidents. The Weser Kurier reports that Deutsche Bahn is already in talks with the city of Osterholz-Scharmbeck to improve safety standards.

However, city regulations are currently preventing construction work on the level crossings at Bremer Straße and Fergersbergstraße until the castle bridge in Ritterhude is completed, which is expected to be completed in May 2026. In the meantime, the railway wants to implement supportive measures to prevent accidents, such as shorter deployments of security forces. Deutsche Bahn says it regrets the incident and would like to contact the legal department. However, the data of those involved in the accident was not yet directly available to her because it was being recorded by the federal police.

Additional measures and developments

Deutsche Bahn not only has local plans, but is pursuing a broader strategy to reduce level crossings in Germany. According to a report by RND, the number of level crossings in Germany has fallen from 28,000 in the 1990s to 15,820 currently. This reduction in level crossings is part of a program to reduce the risk of accidents, as over 95% of collisions between cars and trains are due to inattention, carelessness or ignorance.

Another key goal of the railway is to promote overpasses and underpasses as alternatives to classic level crossings. Particularly dramatic accidents, such as the fatal incident in Hamburg in February 2023, have underlined the urgency of these measures. In this case, an ICE passenger died and 24 other people were injured. Such tragedies shape the current safety debate in rail transport.

Focus on safety at level crossings

The ongoing investigations into further accidents, such as the incident in Oldenburg in January 2023, show that the issue of safety at level crossings is of central importance. While around 68.4% of level crossings in Lower Saxony are technically secured, further improvements are still necessary in other federal states.

Transport Minister Olaf Lies has called on Deutsche Bahn to identify and defuse dangerous situations at level crossings more intensively. The “Safe Over It” education campaign is intended to help educate the public about the dangers and support preventive measures. Deutsche Bahn is clearly committed to increasing safety in rail traffic and preventing accidents like the one on October 20th in Osterholz-Scharmbeck in the future.