After the collision of two freight trains in the Gifhorn district, long-distance traffic between Berlin and Hanover is severely affected until at least Sunday evening.
The section of the route was completely closed, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn told the German Press Agency in the early morning. The trains would be diverted. Delays and train cancellations can occur. Travelers should inform themselves about their connections before starting their journey, as the company announced.
Among other things, the ICE trains from Switzerland via Frankfurt and Kassel to Berlin are affected. The IC connections between Amsterdam and Berlin only run as far as Hanover and also start there in the opposite direction. Trains that travel from Hamm and Münster via Hanover to Berlin are also affected, according to DB.
According to the fire brigade, a freight train stopped near Leiferde because of a corresponding signal during the incident on Thursday morning, and a following freight train drove onto the train for an initially unclear reason. According to a spokesman for the federal police, two tank wagons overturned in the collision and two more derailed. The approaching train consisted of 25 tank wagons filled with propane gas. Explosive propane escaped from two tank cars. The driver of the oncoming train suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.
