Title: Munich's Railway Chaos: Deutsche Bahn Battles 80 Broken Overhead Lines
Munich is still in the grips of chaos, with most railroad lines around the city remaining shut. Christoph Herzog, Deutsche Bahn's maintenance manager for the Munich network, hopes operations will start to improve by midweek. Standing at the Friedenheimer Bridge, Herzog points out the repair team on a touring railcar fixing one of the 80 damaged overhead lines.
Snow chaos has taken a toll on the Munich network. Herzog explains that trees have torn down overhead lines, and in some instances, short-circuits occurred when railcars tried to traverse the current bar. The snow load caused stirrups to move slowly, resulting in arcs from the lines to the stirrups, generating heat that melted cables in numerous locations.
Deutsche Bahn has hastened repairs by transporting all necessary materials from southern Germany to Munich. Even a touring railcar travelled from Hagen in North Rhine-Westphalia to assist. Eight of these coaches are currently in use in the Munich area.
Progress is being made. S8 and S3 trains are now operating on the S-Bahn's mainline. The S8 has also resumed services to the airport. Local services between Munich and Nuremberg have been restored. However, vast damage in other areas, like Rosenheim to Salzburg, means repairs will take some time.
Underestimating winter's fury is not an option, according to Herzog. The precipitation levels and snow depths of 40 to 60 cm in 24 hours have not been recorded since weather records began. "Based on the weather forecast, we didn't have adequate preparedness. Everything had to be reorganized," says Herzog.
In response to the difficult travel conditions, Deutsche Bahn has communicated to its passengers that their tickets will not expire if they do not travel during the specified dates. Passengers who wish to postpone their journeys in southern Germany from December 2 to 5 due to the winter onslaught are entitled to use their tickets at a later date.
Repair efforts are ongoing, with Deutsche Bahn bringing all necessary supplies and resources to swiftly fix the broken overhead lines. Munich's public transportation is gradually returning to some semblance of normalcy; however, extensive damage in certain areas means that repair works will take time.
Additional Insights: - Deutsche Bahn has a history of addressing similar situations with prompt repair efforts, temporary measures to maintain service, and long-term infrastructure upgrades. - The high snowfall and extreme weather conditions have disrupted various transportation networks throughout Europe. - Munich residents and travelers should monitor official Deutsche Bahn announcements and news sources for real-time updates and changes to schedules.
