Train operator emotionally overwhelmed following railway collision
Heavy rainfall is suspected to have caused a train derailment near Zwiefalten, a town close to Riedlingen in southern Germany. The accident occurred on the evening of July 27, 2025, and resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to 41 others.
According to the police president, Josef Veser, a specialist has carried out measurements on the slope to determine the cause of the derailment. The initial investigation suggests that a landslide in the embankment area near the tracks was the cause of the accident.
The landslide was triggered by an overflow of a sewage shaft due to heavy rainfall. This overflow caused a landslide on the railway embankment, leading to the derailment of two carriages of the train.
Railway chief Richard Lutz has promised to support the investigations into the cause of the accident with all available resources. He visited the accident site and expressed his grief and shock at the tragic event. The data recorder from the derailed train has been found and will be evaluated to provide further insights into the incident.
The number of people on the train is initially unclear, but could be lower than the initially reported 100. Train services between Munderkingen and Herbertingen have been suspended due to the derailment. Replacement buses are being provided to transport passengers in the affected area on Monday.
Politicians have paid tribute to the victims and expressed their condolences to the relatives. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) and Baden-Württemberg's Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) also visited the site and expressed their condolences to the victims and gratitude to the rescue services.
A total of 41 people were injured, some seriously, in the derailment. The 32-year-old train driver, a 36-year-old trainee, and a 70-year-old passenger lost their lives in the accident.
A geological report is being prepared, and the State Criminal Police Office is involved in the investigations. Railway services are expected to be disrupted for several days as the authorities work to determine the exact cause of the derailment and clear the debris from the tracks.
- The general news is reporting a train derailment in southern Germany, near Zwiefalten, with the industry of transportation being affected.
- The accident, which occurred on July 27, 2025, is suspected to have been caused by a landslide in the embankment area near the tracks, an event linked to the finance sector due to heavy rainfall causing an overflow of a sewage shaft.
- As the initial investigation suggests, this landslide on the railway embankment led to the derailment of two carriages, causing fatalities in the car-accidents category, with the loss of three lives, and injuries to 41 individuals.
- The crime-and-justice sector is also involved in the investigations, with the State Criminal Police Office working alongside a geological report to determine the exact cause of the derailment, potentially impacting the general-news and transportation industries for several days.
