I read some German online reports on the accident:

A large articulated bus stalled on the crossing but was
evacuated before being ground to pieces by two freight
trains traveling in opposite directions. Three
locomotives and several freight cars derailed.

The extent of the damage to the rail and road
infrastructure was so severe that not only local
police and fire departments responded, but also
THW (Germany's national disaster relief agency,
similar to FEMA). THW has its own equipment,
including cranes, heavy trucks, etc.

There were no serious injuries, though the locomotive
engineer of one of the trains had to be rescued from
the derailed locomotive.

This double-track line without any passenger service
sees up to 200 (!) freight trains per day.

The line itself was closed for two days; the grade
crossing will be closed for more than a week
as all grade crossing equipment and part of the
pavement needs to be replaced.


My observation: Americans sometimes think that
European rail equipment is built to lesser
standards. The fact that no one was seriously
injured on either train shows how well built this
equipment is.

(I've traveled on European electric engines in
the past.)

-- Ernest