A 34-year-old man sustained serious injuries after his legs, dangling over the tracks, were struck by a freight train at the main station in Oldenburg. The incident occurred on Monday evening. The man had sat on the edge of the platform, allowing his legs to hang towards the track bed. The train driver attempted an emergency brake but could not avoid the collision. The injured man was attended to by the federal police, who are investigating the circumstances of the event.
Serious accident at railway station
A 34-year-old man was seriously injured after a collision with a freight train at the main station in Oldenburg. He was transported to a hospital.
Attempted emergency braking
The freight train driver noticed the man and activated emergency braking, but could not avoid contact with the victim's body.
Federal police investigation
The Bundespolizei is conducting an investigation to determine why the man was so close to the tracks and allowed his legs to dangle towards them.
A dangerous incident occurred at the main station in Oldenburg on Monday evening. A 34-year-old man sat on the edge of the platform and allowed his legs to dangle towards the track bed. At that moment, a freight train entered the station. The driver noticed the man and immediately activated emergency braking. Despite this attempt, the train struck the man's dangling limbs, causing him serious injuries. The victim received first aid at the scene and was then transported to a hospital. His condition is assessed as serious. Safety on railway platforms is regulated by national and European regulations, which explicitly prohibit approaching the platform edge outside designated areas. In Germany, oversight of safety at stations and railway lines is the responsibility of, among others, the Bundespolizei, or federal police. This authority has the power to conduct investigations in cases of regulation violations or accidents.The German Bundespolizei arrived at the scene and took over the investigation. Officers secured the area, interviewed witnesses, and began the procedure to clarify the circumstances. The main focus of the inquiry is to determine the motives of the 34-year-old and the reason why he placed himself in immediate danger. It is not yet clear whether it was an intentional act, a suicide attempt, or a result of inattention. The accident caused delays in rail traffic, which were, however, quickly resolved. The railway infrastructure was not damaged.Number of fatal railway accidents in Germany (GUS/BASt): 2022: 242, 2023: 230, 2024: 219 Accidents involving people on the tracks constitute a significant safety problem in rail transport. In 2024, 219 fatal accidents were recorded on German railways, representing a slight decrease compared to previous years. Nevertheless, each such event causes shock and leads to an analysis of procedures. Railway operators regularly appeal for caution and adherence to rules on platforms. In the case of this incident, despite the driver's intervention, the physical forces and the braking distance of the freight train made it impossible to completely avoid the misfortune. The case remains in the preliminary investigation phase.