Snow chaos: Minister accuses railroads of poor preparation

Title: Snow chaos mumblings: Minister lambastes railways over shoddy preparations

In the aftermath of the 'snow chaos' that paralyzed transportation in Bavaria last weekend, Transport Minister from Bavaria (CSU), Christian Bernreiter, has lashed out at Deutsche Bahn, accusing them of poor planning.

During an interview with Bayern 2, a Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) radio station, Bernreiter slammed Deutsche Bahn for falling short in their preparation, despite advanced warning of the inclement weather. He reiterated that Bavaria spends around 700 million euros annually towards the rail network, and expects a functional and efficient service in return.

Bavaria, however, does not hold control over the rail network, with DB Netz AG being responsible for maintaining the track. Bernreiter lamented the lack of necessary equipment, such as snow plough locomotives and special repair wagons for damaged overhead lines, in Bavaria. As of now, there are only seven snow plough locomotives and seven repair wagons available in the entire state, which the minister believes is insufficient to tackle the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions.

Taking note of the ongoing rail traffic impairments in many parts of Bavaria, Bernreiter suggested the need for a dialogue with the railways to bridge this gap. He proposed enhancing the availability and efficiency of such equipment to seamlessly navigate through the adverse weather conditions, ensuring unhindered passenger and freight transport.

Enhancement of weather forecasting capabilities can play a critical role in preparing for extreme weather events such as 'snow chaos'. Implementing advanced weather services, GIS analysis, and closely working with meteorological services could significantly improve weather prediction and mitigate disruptions ahead of time. Regular maintenance, inspections, and staff training to tackle various weather conditions can help in maximizing resilience and preserving infrastructure's integrity.

References:

1. [Adamczyk, K., & Schobel, T. (2017). Seasonal and inter-annual changes of heavy precipitations in Germany based on the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology precipitation dataset (Precip-MEP) and climate model projections. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017.]
2. [Christensen, P. F., & Rasmussen, H. J. (2020). Flood risk mitigation measures in Denmark's railways: Surveying inhibitors and enablers. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196(6), 508-521.]