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ICE drama in Cologne: 230 passengers evacuated after branch collision!
On June 9, 2025, ICE 527 stopped outside Cologne because of a broken branch, which led to a complicated evacuation of 230 travelers.
ICE drama in Cologne: 230 passengers evacuated after branch collision!
On Monday, June 9, 2025, around 230 passengers on the ICE 527, which was traveling from Dortmund to Munich, experienced an unexpected stopover. Shortly before the Köln Messe/Deutz stop, the train hit a large branch that was hanging on the tracks. The impact caused damage to the contact strip, which is responsible for the power supply, so that the train could no longer continue on its own. The route was then temporarily closed, which significantly affected not only passengers but also all rail traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia. As WDR reports, the broken train was ultimately towed away at 3:30 p.m. and the route was reopened.
Evacuating the passengers proved to be a challenge. The train came to a standstill on the railway bridge at 8:30 a.m. and it took until 12 p.m. for the first buses to transport passengers to arrive. The first articulated bus arrived at 10 a.m., while the special evacuation train was not ready until 12 p.m. The actual evacuation began with a considerable delay and only ended at 1:26 p.m., as DerWesten adds. The long waiting time was justified by the safety of the passengers, as getting out through the open doors could have been dangerous.
Safety in focus
Fortunately, no one among the travelers was injured, although the mood was tense during the long wait. A train attendant was even forced to alert the police because some passengers were behaving inappropriately. Despite this review, those responsible at Deutsche Bahn tried to find quick alternatives for travelers in order to remedy the undignified circumstances as quickly as possible.
In this situation, the importance of security in public spaces also came to the fore. Deutsche Bahn is continually working on new security concepts for stations and trains. For example, at the Berlin Südkreuz security station, innovative measures are being tested in collaboration with the Federal Police to increase passengers' feeling of security. Part of these initiatives includes the use of body cameras for train attendants in order to reduce critical situations and promote acceptance in public spaces, as described on the Deutsche Bahn website.
This unpleasant event shows once again how important preventive safety measures and quick action are in rail traffic. The events surrounding the evacuation of ICE 527 are a stark reminder that in emergencies, rapid and safe action is essential to ensure the safety of all travelers.