Austria Tunnel Collapse Strands ICE Travelers, Leaves Them Stranded
In an unexpected turn of events, a Vienna-Hamburg ICE train encountered a malfunction that disrupted operations on Saturday afternoon. The malfunction, involving the ICE pantograph not functioning properly, left passengers stranded in a tunnel near Hadersdorf west of Vienna.
Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident or the subsequent evacuation. The train, identified as the ICE 90 'Donauwalzer,' was towed to Vienna but found to be no longer roadworthy. As a result, passengers had to walk out of the tunnel via emergency exits due to the risk of being stranded in the tunnel.
The tunnel, located under a residential area, caused a significant disruption as passengers were led to a replacement train in the tunnel but could not depart due to the aforementioned risk. Instead, they were transported to Vienna and St. Pölten by bus and regional trains.
Despite ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, not operating the ICE train, they are responsible for the track where the incident occurred. ÖBB spokesman Klaus Baumgartner thanked the passengers for their patience and provided this information. He also mentioned that those who needed overnight accommodation were provided with a hotel voucher by ÖBB.
Further details about the cause of the incident will be available later in the week. As of now, the cause remains undetermined by Deutsche Bahn, the German rail company operating the ICE train.
In a positive development, the costs amounting to approximately 1.5 million euros for the redirected ICE train and the subsidy beyond the usual passenger rights are borne by the federal government. Passengers would only be entitled to a 50% refund under regular passenger rights, but they are now set to receive more than this.
In a surprising turn, approximately 400 ICE train passengers are entitled to a full refund of their train ticket costs due to the incident. Operations on the Hamburg-Vienna route have been normalized since the incident.
A Vienna-Hamburg train is now running again, providing relief to travellers. ÖBB spokesman Klaus Baumgartner also confirmed that the train will be transported back to Germany in the coming days. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of safety measures and precautions in railway operations.
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