A delicate operation took place in Seefeld in the Innsbruck-Land district on Saturday afternoon. Because the ÖBB overhead line was damaged, a dike caught fire. About 120 passengers had to be evacuated from two trains. No one was injured. A commander describes the operation.
Difficult situation on Saturday in a forest between Reith and Seefeld! Around 5:50 p.m., a defective overhead wire caused a train to stop in the middle of the route. Splinters thrown from the pipe onto the dike quickly caused a smoldering fire. “I was initially called because there was smoke rising in the forest. When we were there, we discovered that the fire was justified, but that the ÖBB line had been demolished and there was a train, directly in the danger zone, with people,” says Martin Gapp, the commander of the volunteer Reith bei Seefeld. fire brigade.
Anxious minutes until the procedure
The fire on the dike was only a few meters away from the train, but intervention was extremely difficult due to the high voltage, says Gapp: “We then contacted the ÖBB emergency coordinator. This lasted about 30 minutes until the line was disconnected and grounded. We were not allowed on the track before that.”
A second train was also affected by the disruption. This amounted to a few kilometers in the vicinity of the sewage treatment plant. The passengers were also evacuated there and taken to Seefeld train station by shuttles from the Reith, Seefeld and Zirl fire brigades. In total there were about 120 passengers on the two trains.
The fact that the train was in the middle of a forest and there were some people with walking difficulties and a wheelchair user made the task more difficult.
After the power was turned off, the fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire on the dike. “But we were lucky because there was no wind. We were not allowed to enter the circuit area until the ÖBB gave us permission,” says Gapp. The fire broke out in several places. The cause was sparks on old metal fences, caused by the cut overhead wires.
The extent of the damage is still unknown
The railway line between Reith and Seefeld is closed indefinitely until the damage is repaired; the ÖBB has set up a replacement rail service. The extent of the damage to the overhead lines and the train carriage is currently unknown.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
