3 killed, many injured after passenger train derails in southwestern Germany

Three people were killed and several others injured after a regional passenger train derailed in a forested area of southwestern Germany on Sunday evening, police said.

The accident occurred around 6:10 pm near Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state. Around 100 people were on board when two carriages came off the tracks for reasons yet unknown.

While the exact number of injured has not been officially disclosed, German daily Bild cited emergency responders saying around 50 people were hurt.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed the deaths and multiple injuries, and said an investigation was underway. Train services were suspended along a 40-kilometre stretch of the route.

The train was travelling from Sigmaringen to Ulm when it derailed. Local media speculated a landslide caused by severe storms might have triggered the incident.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed condolences to the victims’ families on social media and said he was in contact with top officials to ensure full support for emergency teams.

Footage from the crash site showed overturned yellow and grey train carriages, with firefighters and rescue workers trying to reach passengers. Helicopters were used to airlift the injured to hospitals, and nearby medical teams were mobilised.

Germany’s rail network often faces criticism for ageing infrastructure and frequent delays. The government has promised major investments to modernise the system.

This is not the first such tragedy. In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort, killing four. Germany’s deadliest rail disaster was in 1998 in Eschede, where a high-speed train crash claimed 101 lives.