Leslie Massey
Austria has seen several train incidents, including the Kaprun disaster, which saw a funicular train with 161 passengers and a conductor on board unexpectedly catch fire in a tunnel. The country has also experienced several train collisions, including a head-on collision between two commuter trains in Vienna in 2023, a collision between two trains in the province of Styria in 2024, and a train crash in Vienna in 2013. In addition, there have been reports of a fire in a railway tunnel in 2023, a bomb threat at the Bregenz Train Station in 2024, and the Niklasdorf train collision. These incidents have resulted in injuries and fatalities, highlighting the importance of railway safety in Austria.
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What You'll Learn
The Kaprun disaster
On 11 November 2000, a fire broke out on board a funicular train carrying 161 passengers and a conductor to a ski resort in Kaprun, Austria. The train unexpectedly stopped inside a tunnel 600 metres (2,000 ft) into its journey. The conductor reported a fire to the control centre but failed to open the hydraulically operated doors. The fire had burned through a 16kV power cable, causing a power blackout throughout the ski resort and disrupting contact with the control centre. The passengers were trapped inside the smoke-filled train.
Twelve people at the rear of the train managed to break a window with a ski pole and, advised by a volunteer firefighter, escaped downhill past the fire and below the smoke. Many of the remaining occupants lost consciousness due to toxic fumes. Eventually, the conductor unlocked the doors, but the conscious passengers could only force them open manually. The conductor and all the passengers who ascended on foot died from asphyxiation and burns. The smoke rose into the Alpincenter 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above, killing the conductor and the sole passenger on the second train, which was descending in the same tunnel.
The official inquiry determined that the cause of the fire was the failure, overheating, and ignition of a fan heater in the conductor's compartment, which was not designed for use in a moving vehicle. A design fault caused the heater to overheat, leading to the ignition of a slow leak of flammable hydraulic fluid. This melted the plastic fluid lines, further fuelling the flames and causing a loss of hydraulic pressure, which disabled the doors and applied the brakes. The train complied with area safety codes, which did not address the systems installed during a 1993 upgrade, including onboard electric power, hydraulic systems, and fan heaters intended for domestic use.
The funicular was never reopened after the disaster and was replaced by a gondola lift. The stations were abandoned, and the tunnel remains sealed. A memorial was inaugurated on the fourth anniversary of the disaster on 11 November 2004. The Austrian Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek incorporated the tragedy into her 2003 play "In den Alpen" (In the Alps).
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Vienna head-on collision
On 21 January 2013, two commuter trains collided head-on in Vienna, Austria, during rush hour. The incident, which took place near the Vienna-Penzing station, resulted in injuries to about 50 people. Five were seriously hurt, and another 20 were lightly injured. The cause of the accident was attributed to human error, specifically an error by a dispatcher during irregular operations.
The dispatcher involved in the incident, known as Fahrdienstleiter, reportedly never returned to work. It was revealed that his training did not cover the specific situation that led to the collision, and he was not at fault as he followed the standard procedures. However, it was also noted that the issue could have been immediately identified if an additional physical check had been included in the training protocol.
In the aftermath of the collision, emergency crews, including fire and ambulance services, rushed to the scene. They had to cut people out of the wreckage, and one person with head injuries was transported to a Vienna hospital by a rescue helicopter. The incident brought attention to the potential challenges posed by centralizing control of the ÖBB railway network to a remote location in Vienna, raising concerns about the impact on safety and the well-being of controllers.
Another incident involving a train derailment outside of Vienna occurred on 10 May 2022, resulting in one death and 12 injuries. The accident, which happened near the town of Muenchendorf, involved two wagons that derailed for unknown reasons. One wagon crashed into an embankment, while the other tipped over into a field next to the tracks.
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Vienna rush hour crash
On 22 January 2013, two packed commuter trains collided head-on during rush hour in Vienna, Austria's capital city. The crash, which occurred in the Penzing district in the west of the city, injured a total of 41 commuters, five of whom were seriously hurt. Two of the injured, including one of the train drivers, were in a life-threatening condition in hospital.
The collision took place shortly before 9 am and required a large rescue operation involving 25 fire engines, a helicopter, and a special 'accident train'. Many of the injured had to be extracted from the wreckage using special cranes. One person was trapped inside the wreckage, and many passengers were in shock.
The cause of the accident is still unclear.
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Bomb threat at Bregenz Train Station
On the evening of October 3, 2024, Bregenz Train Station in Austria was evacuated following a bomb threat. Emergency services rushed to the scene after officials received an email claiming that explosives were present at the facility. The police evacuated the building and cordoned off the area while they investigated. All train services were suspended, causing travel disruptions that were expected to extend into the late evening.
This incident was one of several similar occurrences in Austria around the same time, with railroad stations in Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, and St. Pölten also receiving bomb threats via email. The content of the emails suggested that they may have been sent by the same individual. The police assumed that the same author was behind the threats in all cases.
The sender of the emails could face several years in prison if caught and convicted. The investigation into the threats was ongoing at the time, and authorities advised the public to avoid the area and consider alternative modes of transportation.
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Styria collision
On 12 February 2018, a regional train departing on a red signal crashed into an oncoming express train on the Bruck an der Mur–Leoben railway line in the municipality of Niklasdorf, Styria, Austria. The accident resulted in the death of one person and injuries to more than 22 individuals. Several carriages derailed, and the side of the express train was ripped open.
The Bruck an der Mur–Leoben railway line is a crucial route in Austria, stretching 23.4 km (14.5 mi) and serving as part of the Vienna-Venice long-distance connection. It accommodates both freight and passenger services, including express trains and local transportation networks like the S-Bahn Steiermark, which connects Graz with nearby towns.
The Niklasdorf collision involved nine DB Intercity/Eurocity passenger cars, with the first class cars located at the back of the train, close to the pushing locomotive. The accident occurred when the regional train failed to stop at a red signal and collided with the oncoming express train, leading to severe damage and casualties.
The cause of the accident and the factors contributing to the signal violation by the regional train are subject to investigation and review by relevant authorities. The incident highlights the importance of railway safety and the need for effective safety mechanisms and protocols to prevent such tragic events from occurring.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2023, 150 passengers were evacuated from a fire in a railway tunnel in Austria. 400 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation. The fire was caused by an overheated fan heater in the conductor's compartment, which ignited hydraulic fluid.
In 2024, there were two separate incidents involving trains in Austria. In February, one person died and several were injured when two trains collided in the Austrian province of Styria. In October, a bomb threat was made at the Bregenz Train Station, leading to evacuations and train service suspensions.
The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred on a funicular train in Austria in 2000, killing 155 people. The fire was caused by a faulty fan heater, which ignited hydraulic fluid.
