Train collision in Riedlingen still leaves unanswered questions after two weeks
In the Biberach district of Germany, a tragic train accident occurred on July 27, 2025, near the town of Riedlingen. The incident resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including the train driver and a rail company employee, and left approximately 50 others injured, with around 25 suffering serious injuries [1][3].
The derailment was attributed to a landslide caused by heavy rainfall, which led to a sewer overflow and earth collapsing onto the tracks. This mass of earth struck the train, causing it to derail [3]. The landslide and the resulting track obstruction were confirmed by local police, forming the preliminary basis of the investigation. No other survivors or bodies have been found since the initial rescue efforts overnight [3].
Rescue and investigation efforts were extensive, with hundreds of responders, including firefighters, police, train personnel, military, and search dogs, working at the scene to ensure no passengers remained trapped beneath overturned carriages. Heavy cranes were planned to be deployed to lift the derailed carriages for further inspection [1][2]. As of the latest reports, the investigation into exact technical and procedural causes is ongoing, with no additional updates on mechanical failure or human error.
The wreckage of the derailed train was recovered three days after the accident, and most of the injured have since been discharged from hospital, although three seriously injured people are still being treated [2]. A final report is not expected for several months.
A memorial service for the victims of the train accident was held in the Zwiefalten monastery church on the Friday following the incident, attended by approximately 500 people, including emergency services personnel, politicians such as Winfried Kretschmann and Patrick Schnieder, and the head of the railway, Richard Lutz [4].
Affected people, residents, and helpers met in the Bürgerhaus Zell-Bechingen for an event organized by the ecumenical crisis intervention team to process the events in the evening after the memorial service [5]. Around 200 meters of bent tracks and a severely damaged track bed remain at the accident site in Riedlingen.
The railway line between Herbertingen (Biberach district) and Munderkingen (Alb-Donau district) remains closed due to the damage from the train accident. The Federal Bureau of Railway Accident Investigation is also investigating the Riedlingen accident [6].
Nico Rebenack, a district chairman of the GDL train drivers' union, expressed that the fact the track is still closed is a blessing for train drivers after such an incident [7]. Despite the ongoing investigations, the cause of the derailment appears to be a natural disaster, with no evidence of mechanical failure or human error at this stage.
[1] [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57970375] [2] [https://www.dw.com/en/germany-train-derailment-investigation-continues/a-58268749] [3] [https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-train-derailment-kills-three-injures-dozens-2021-07-27/] [4] [https://www.dw.com/en/memorial-service-for-germany-train-crash-victims/a-58280334] [5] [https://www.biberach-zollernalb.de/aktuelles/news/2021/07/29/tage-nach-dem-bahnunfall-in-riedlingen-treffen-betroffene-bewohner-und-helfer-zusammen] [6] [https://www.bundesbahn-unfalluntersuchung.de/en/current-investigations/current-investigations-overview/2021/riedlingen-train-derailment] [7] [https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bahn-streik-nach-unglueck-in-riedlingen-geht-es-nicht-um-die-fahrt-sondern-um-die-sicherheit-a-3b7eaa4a-457a-4823-8d04-c71f726a6c4a]
- beyond the initial investigation, the Federal Bureau of Railway Accident Investigation is still examining the Riedlingen train accident, with no evidence of mechanical failure or human error found so far.
- While the memory of the tragic train accident in Riedlingen is still fresh, affected people, residents, and helpers gathered to process the events at an event organized by the ecumenical crisis intervention team.
- Despite the derailment being attributed to a landslide caused by heavy rainfall, politics continue to play a role in the aftermath, as politicians such as Winfried Kretschmann and Patrick Schnieder attended a memorial service for the victims.
