Almost a year after the serious train accident with two deaths in Hürth near Cologne, the investigation is nearing its end. “I assume that the investigation can be completed within a reasonable period of time,” said a spokesman for the Cologne public prosecutor’s office in response to a request from the German Press Agency. However, he could not yet say when the authorities would decide whether to file charges. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating two suspects on suspicion of negligent homicide.
In the accident at the beginning of May 2023, an intercity train hit two 27 and 31 year old workers. They died instantly. Five colleagues were able to jump to the side at the last moment and suffered a shock. The men had carried out work on the track bed on behalf of Deutsche Bahn. When they got on the tracks, they assumed the line was already closed – but that wasn’t the case.
The core of the investigation is the question of why the prescribed communication processes did not work. On the day of the accident, one of the accused was employed as the responsible construction supervisor for an engineering company, the other as a security guard for a security company.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, all key witnesses have now been questioned. “The internal operating instructions of the affected companies were evaluated, as were the secured communication data of those involved in the process,” said the spokesman. The lawyers were now given access to the files and the opportunity to comment.
