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Prolonged Cleanup and Assessment Expected at Geseke Accident Site in Germany

Prolonged Cleanup and Assessment Expected at Geseke Accident Site in Germany
photo: dpa/Friso Gentsch, welt.de/Prolonged Cleanup and Assessment Expected at Geseke Accident Site in Germany
15 / 09 / 2023

The aftermath of the recent train crash in Geseke, Germany, indicates extensive cleanup operations and damages. Clearing the wreckage from the scene is projected to span until the close of next week, marking just the beginning of further assessment and repair phases.

Officials have currently engaged three robust rail cranes for the intricate task of lifting the heavy wagons. Early estimates by DB suggest that the catastrophe could necessitate the replacement of at least 200 meters of railway tracks. The exact duration for the comprehensive restoration efforts remains uncertain at this juncture.

On the ground, the activity has been frenetic. Wednesday saw workers engrossed in the meticulous process of separating the jammed wagons, with welding efforts emanating bright sparks at the tail end of the immobilized train. As noon approached, the frontal section of the fourteen-wagon assembly was already being hoisted by the crane. In an additional challenge, workers had the task of extracting cement into trucks, complicated by the previous night's rain which resulted in the cement solidifying. Even devoid of its contents, a lone wagon registers a weighty 29 tons.

Given the sheer magnitude of the cleanup, rail services in the vicinity are inevitably disrupted. The span between Paderborn and Lippstadt is anticipated to remain non-operational for several weeks. Moreover, the IC connection bridging Cologne and Düsseldorf to Gera has been adversely impacted. The full extent of damages to the tracks, overhead lines, and noise barriers will only be discernible post the removal of all wagons, leaving the community and authorities bracing for extended disruptions.

Source of information: wdr.de

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