Wintry temperatures with snow and ice lead to demolished cars, failed planes and stopped trains in Bavaria. A railway company must now reschedule.
Munich (dpa / lby) – After the freezing rain from the previous day, snowfall in Bavaria caused traffic delays on Thursday. There have been numerous accidents on the roads. At Munich Airport, more than 100 connections were canceled for the second day in a row. The German Weather Service (DWD) warned that freezing rain could again cause black ice in the south on Friday night.
There were particularly many problems with the private rail operator Go-Ahead Bayern, which just a few days ago took over the regional routes around Augsburg, which are used by many people, from Deutsche Bahn (DB). Due to many train cancellations, the company is now planning a shuttle timetable around Augsburg. As a result, passengers would have to change trains there if they wanted to continue in the direction of Munich, Donauwörth or Ulm, for example. “The current weather conditions are causing many problems,” said the managing director, Fabian Amini.
According to Amini, 9 trains broke down almost at the same time on Wednesday – 4 of them on the open route. Passengers had to be evacuated from some defective vehicles. The company’s vehicles could not cope with the black ice on the overhead lines. On Thursday, 13 of 56 trains were defective and failed. It was initially unclear when Go-Ahead would resume normal operations.
The company is also struggling with staff shortages and can therefore not offer all planned connections. DB, on the other hand, initially reported no significant restrictions.
There were already around 100 canceled flights at the state capital’s airport on Thursday morning – more than 100 were canceled the day before. “These are mainly the effects of yesterday, because, for example, crews are over their working hours or the planes are somewhere else,” said an airport spokesman. The railways are in operation, but many aircraft have to be de-iced first. Some passengers also stayed overnight and were provided with drinks, snacks and blankets. Around noon, the situation – including the queues – relaxed again.
Accidents occurred on the roads, especially in southern Bavaria, due to black ice and fresh snow on Thursday. The Lower Bavarian police headquarters reported more than 40 accidents with at least nine people injured during the night and early in the morning. Many vehicles had slipped off the roadway, causing disabilities.
In Murnau, Upper Bavaria, a 79-year-old fell on an icy sidewalk on Wednesday and died a short time later in the hospital. First responders and rescue services had tried in vain to resuscitate the man after the fall.
In the city of Munich, the cemeteries have been closed since Wednesday because of the slippery terrain. According to a city spokesman, funeral services and burials will continue to be offered. According to a spokeswoman, the zoo in Augsburg was able to reopen. The zoo was closed on Wednesday.
The DWD announced that freezing rain could be expected from the south in the Free State from late Thursday evening. The rain will turn to snow during Friday night. “Restrictions in road and rail traffic are possible due to the widespread black ice,” warned the meteorologists. It’s supposed to be sunny again this weekend. However, the temperatures will mostly remain in the minus range.
