Vienna escaped disaster
Vienna narrowly avoided disaster
Dense smoke, charred debris, black discolored paint: these are the devastating images of the special train on the U1 subway line. The partial closure of the line is likely to remain in place for days. Images leaked to the "Krone" show how close Vienna came to disaster on Tuesday. It is now known: Six employees of Wiener Linien were injured.
The day after the near-disaster, the clean-up operation is still in full swing. "The fire department is helping to remove the train. The tracks, the conductor rail, the train safety system and the structure are being checked for damage," explained Wiener Linien on Wednesday morning. The team is doing everything possible to resume operations as quickly as possible.
Cause of fire still unclear
The cause of the fire is still unclear: fire investigators from the State Office of Criminal Investigation were at the scene investigating what caused the fire in the subway carriage. There were initially no indications of any outside culpability, according to the police
Passengers will have to be patient
Nevertheless, patience is required: Checking the systems and repairing the damage will take time, so the end of the disruption is currently not foreseeable. As the "Krone" already reported, the partial line closure is likely to last several days. The U1 line is currently only running between Oberlaa and Reumannplatz and between Schwedenplatz and Leopoldau.
This is because the infrastructure around the site of the fire between the stations Südtiroler Platz and Taubstummengasse can only be inspected once the vehicle has been towed away. The train of the old "Silberpfeil" type was traveling as a special train without passengers towards Reumannplatz to be parked there as a reserve train.
"The exact extent of the damage has yet to be determined," explained a Wiener Linien spokesperson. In any case, the train is not roadworthy and has to be towed away. Vehicle parts have to be secured and loading it onto the special vehicle in the tunnel is also "millimeter work", he emphasized.
Photos and videos that were leaked to the "Krone" show only too well how narrowly the federal capital escaped a tragedy on Tuesday. Broken windows, charred rubble, a smoking wreck: it is a frightening, chaotic spectacle that shows the effects of the fire.
Bystander cyclist thundered into pole
Fortunately, no passengers were injured because the vehicle was a special train. However, the 25-year-old female driver had to be taken to hospital. She suffered mild smoke inhalation and is currently receiving psychological treatment. A further five employees were also taken to hospital with minor injuries, but have since been discharged to home care. A cyclist who had crashed into a pole as a bystander also suffered injuries.
Challenging operation for the professional fire brigade
Vienna's professional fire department arrived with 28 vehicles and 80 people on Tuesday to extinguish the fire in the subway tunnel. Scenes like this are of course trained, but an operation like this on site is of course particularly challenging, spokesman Christian Feiler explains to the "Krone" newspaper.
"Leave the danger zone quickly"
The biggest problems are heavy smoke and the enormous heat that quickly builds up in the tunnel. Although there are smoke detectors and smoke extractors in tunnels, there are no sprinkler systems. In many cases, these would also be unusable for such a situation, says Feiler. The fire was fought with water and foam. After an hour, the fire was reported as "out", a surprisingly short time for such a large fire. None of the emergency services were injured. However, the clean-up work will continue for some time.
When asked what passengers should do in such a case, Feiler replies: "Leave the danger zone as quickly as possible." Covering your mouth with a scarf or something similar doesn't really help. The motto is to get outside.
Public transport collapse looms in the next few days
In Vienna, it's all about waiting for the time being. Especially in the morning hours on the way to work. "Wiener Linien is asking passengers to pay attention to the announcements, to extend their journeys over a wide area and to avoid unnecessary journeys in the coming days. We will provide information on all channels on an ongoing basis," assures the municipal transport company.
The effects of the current section closures and construction work were already clearly noticeable on Wednesday morning. There were numerous delays on the streetcar and subway lines. There was hectic activity and crowds of people, especially at the U4 and U3 stations.
Rail replacement service from Thursday
The U1 cannot run between Keplerplatz and Stephansplatz for the time being. Trains will only run between Oberlaa and Reumannplatz and from Schwedenplatz to Leopoldau, Wiener Linien announced. Streetcars 1 and O have been reinforced and line D as well as U3, U4 and express trains are also recommended as alternative routes.
From Thursday morning, the Bim line D will be extended to Reumannplatz as a rail replacement service for the U1. Lines 1 and O can then still be used as an alternative, it was emphasized. The U2Z night service will not end at Oper/Karlsplatz, but will also be extended to Reumannplatz.
These measures will connect the stations Karlsplatz, Schwedenplatz and Reumannplatz, according to Wiener Linien. The inspection of the facilities and the repair of damage will take time, however, and the U1 may have to be split for several days.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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