Train Halted by Felled Tree Leads to Passenger Evacuation - 200 Individuals Evacuated Locally
On Monday, August 4, 2025, a train carrying over 200 passengers crashed into a fallen tree near the village of Wrist, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The tree, brought down by strong winds, had fallen onto the overhead power line, causing the incident.
The train driver applied emergency brakes but could not prevent the collision. Fortunately, no passengers were injured in the accident. Rail traffic between Hamburg and Neumünster was halted for several hours while authorities dealt with the situation and ensured safety by cutting off power and grounding the overhead line.
Passengers were safely taken to the nearest station following the incident, and power disruption followed due to grounding of the overhead line. The railway line was closed temporarily but has since been a focus for restoration after the emergency. There are no further reports of injuries or fatalities related to this accident.
The Deutsche Bahn's emergency manager and the fire brigade grounded the line before the evacuation of passengers began. Over 200 passengers had to be evacuated from the affected train. The fire brigade and railway technicians worked to remove the tree from the track.
The train's pantograph was lowered to avoid contact with the fallen tree on the overhead line. The regional express train from Hamburg to Kiel collided with the fallen tree despite applying an emergency brake.
The incident caused disruption to rail traffic for several hours. The track was temporarily closed for clearance operations following the collision. The Hamburg-Neumünster railway line is one of the most important connections in northern Germany, making the incident's impacts on regional and long-distance traffic significant.
It is worth noting that this incident follows a recent incident involving a regional train derailment in Riedlingen, resulting in three fatalities. The extreme weather conditions in the region have been causing disruptions prior to the incident in Wrist. The Federal Police Inspectorate in Flensburg confirmed that the incident was caused by these extreme weather conditions.
[1] Source: Federal Police Report [2] Source: Deutsche Bahn Emergency Manager Report
- The general news has been reporting an increase in car-accidents due to the recent extreme weather conditions in the region, similar to the incidents involving the derailment in Riedlingen and the collision in Wrist.
- The weather has been a recurring factor in various accidents such as the train collision in Wrist and the recent regional train derailment in Riedlingen, making it an important part of the general-news coverage on accidents in Germany.
