S-Bahn accident at the Berliner Tor

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The S-Bahn accident at the Berliner Tor is the most serious accident involving a rail vehicle in the Hamburg area . The accident occurred on October 5, 1961 at 10:38 p.m. near the Berliner Tor S-Bahn station .

In the accident, an S-Bahn hit a construction train loaded with T-beams on the way to Bergedorf . The accident occurred between the Rothenburgsort and Berliner Tor S-Bahn stations. The dispatcher accidentally let a S-Bahn of the ET 170 series enter a section of the route that was still occupied by a construction train. He had forgotten the construction train; the electrical route safety was switched off because of the shunting work of the construction train.

The S-Bahn train hit the construction train at a speed of around 60 km / h. The dimensions of the loaded double-T-beams fit almost exactly into the cabin of the S-Bahn and pressed the S-Bahn together like a stamp in a piston. In the accident, 28 people were killed in the S-Bahn and 55 passengers injured. The engine driver of the construction train could jump off shortly before the collision; the driver of the S-Bahn was killed.

The rescue of the injured dragged on for hours. The work was made more difficult by the location of the accident site on the several meter high dam of the canal bridge over the central canal . In addition, access to the S-Bahn was also difficult due to the high mechanical stress on the metal. In some cases, access with flame cutting devices first had to be created. Some of the injured could only be freed by amputating trapped limbs at the scene of the accident. In addition to the fire brigade, the THW and an emergency train from the German Federal Railroad were also in action. Private vehicles and taxis were also used to transport injured people.

The dispatcher was sentenced to one year in prison.

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Coordinates: 53 ° 32 '58.6 "  N , 10 ° 1' 50.7"  E