The wagons that fell over in Wels leaked the flammable chemical styrene, which is used to make plastics. Because rescue work was still ongoing on Saturday, there were train delays throughout Austria for the second day in a row.
The accident in the trade fair city, which closed the western route for two and a half hours, disrupted train traffic throughout Austria on Friday. And on Saturday too, the trains had to drive slower and pass Wels at 30 km/h instead of 160 km/h, because emergency services were still working on the sidings. “As a result, there were minor delays,” the ÖBB said.
As reported, four wagons of a freight train jumped off the rails between the central station and the shunting yard in Wels.
Chemicals have been leaked
The tankers were loaded with hazardous substances. “Styrene was leaking from the fallen wagons,” reports operational manager Markus Marehard of FF Wels. This is a highly flammable chemical used in making plastics. According to Marehard, there is no danger to the residents’ groundwater because the nearest houses are far enough away.
The remaining styrene was pumped from the derailed wagons. The train parts would be rebuilt with two 70-ton cranes. The cause of the accident is still unclear.
Source: Krone
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