Rüsselsheim train disaster
The railway accident in Rüsselsheim occurred on 2 February 1990 in the area of the station Rüsselsheim on the Main track. A train S-Bahn Rhein -Main drove past a " stop" signal display and the subsequent Durchrutschweg was not enough to prevent that he does not yet got into the path of another train after the immediate introduction of emergency brake. With 17 dead and 145 seriously injured, this was the worst accident in the history of the S- Bahn Rhein -Main.
Starting position
The distance between the end of the south platform of the station Rüsselsheim and the exit signal in the direction of Frankfurt am Main was unusually long.
On the afternoon of February 2, 1990 the 23-year old driver ran his S-Bahn class 420 line S 14 of the Frankfurt Transport Association in Frankfurt am Main. He had to keep on schedule according to the Rüsselsheim station. The driver had to cope with twelve- hour shifts without sufficient breaks before the accident, with accumulated up to 300 overtime.
When passing the intermediate signal of the part of the station " Opel factory " was the distant signal " expect danger ". The driver was also confirmed on the train control system to have the signal perceived. The train conductor, then train attendants were still used in the S -Bahn many had to monitor only the closing of the doors and to control the ticket while driving. Unlike the other types of trains train attendants it was not one of his duties to check the position of the Ausfahrsignals.
From the opposite direction, another, fully staffed with 500 passengers, S -Bahn, also a vehicle of the DB Class 420 came She was traveling to Wiesbaden. Due to a train that was out on schedule in Rüsselsheim train station on the main line through 1, had this train here the fast track ( track 3 ) traveled.
The accident
After the stop in the continuous main track towards Frankfurt (track 2 ) on the platform of the train driver had conveyed to him by the distant signal information but is no longer present. The S -Bahn takes place at the S- Bahn Rhein -Main with self-handling (driver has Zugaufsicht ). This has led the driver to process routine and drove off. He quickened, the 420 series has a strong acceleration. Since the distance between the end of the south platform of the station Rüsselsheim and the exit signal was unusually long, the train developed a significant speed until he passed further " stop" pointing exit signal of the station. After then immediately initiated emergency brake of the train came - the Durchrutschweg was not designed for the already achieved speed - not in front of the eastern course area to a halt, but slipped on a crossover that just the traveling to Wiesbaden train when changing to the fast track sailed. 16:42 clock the trains collided head-on. The anterior segments of both railcars wedged in love. A subsequent segment stood on almost vertically before it crashed on an adjacent parking lot with six cars parked there.
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At the scene of an accident
17 dead and 145 seriously injured were the result, including the driver of the coming from the direction of Frankfurt S-Bahn. The damage to property was estimated by the German Federal Railroad DM about six million.
About 800 rescue workers from across the Rhine -Main area were used. First were U.S. soldiers the near Azbill Barracks site. All hospitals in Rüsselsheim and the surrounding area were alerted and directed to a potentially serious consequences of the accident. Taxi driver drove the less seriously injured there. Many were injured while in a nearby weather protected courtyard entrance and an adjacent hall that served as emergency hospital supplied. As a result, many seriously injured with helicopters and ambulances to hospitals in Rüsselsheim, Bad Soden am Taunus, wholesale Gerau, Hofheim am Taunus, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Frankfurt and were brought Florsheim am Main. The rescue of the wounded and recovering the dead lasted the whole night. The next day, disposed of salvage units of the German Federal Railroad destroyed the S- Bahn cars.
Legal processing
A year after the accident was the driver who had the " stop" commanding signal disregarded, was sentenced to a suspended sentence of ten months and a fine of 2,500 DM for manslaughter, assault and dangerous interference in rail transport. According to that court, the driver had the signal " not recognized as closed because he had glimpsed too volatile ". He was retrained after the accident to the workshop manager.
Technical implications
As a result of the accident, the security system of point-like train control has been improved by speed monitoring systems are provided for the determined braking curves. The PZB previously used the type I 60 was replaced by 1995 for DM 400 million by the type PZB 90. This is not put together with about 10,000 additional track magnets in the entire railway network ensures that a train, in a situation such as that in Rüsselsheim, after the departure of more than 25 km / h to approach a " stop" signal at danger in a train station, without previously the emergency brake is triggered. He Overshoot it is also triggered emergency brake. At this low speed, a Durchrutschweg as in Rüsselsheim on the length is sufficient so that the train does not run on the main track.
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As early as 1972 there were in Olching a similar accident in which a railcar class 420 drove into a freight train.
The railway accident at Chase in 1987 was based on a similar constellation of late emergency brake in case of insufficient Durchrutschweg.