A landslide caused by intense rainfall derailed a regional train in southern Germany last year, killing three people, the Federal Bureau for Railway Accident Investigation concluded in a new report.
The July 27, 2025, crash near Riedlingen claimed the lives of a 70-year-old passenger, a 32-year-old driver and a 36-year-old trainee, while 36 passengers were injured, five of them seriously, including two children. The train was travelling at roughly 150 km/h when it struck the mudslide just three minutes after departing Sigmaringen en route to Ulm. About 28 litres of rain per square metre had fallen in the hour before the accident. Dispatchers in Riedlingen and Rechtenstein were reportedly concerned about conditions but took no preventive action, with investigators noting a conflict between safety and punctuality priorities.
Prosecutors in Ravensburg have opened a manslaughter investigation, pending a geological assessment. The damaged rail section was rebuilt over 300 metres after months of closure.