ESCHEDE — 1998 · Major Tragedy
The Eschede Train Disaster
On 3 June 1998 the ICE 884 "Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen" high-speed train from Munich to Hamburg derailed near Eschede and struck a road bridge, which collapsed onto the carriages. 101 people were killed and many were seriously injured. The crash was caused by a fatigue crack in a wheel tyre that finally broke. It is regarded as the world's deadliest high-speed rail disaster. In August 2002 two railway officials and an engineer went on trial for negligent manslaughter; in April 2003 the case was discontinued without a verdict in exchange for payments. The wheel design was changed and train windows were made easier to break in an emergency.
- Date
- 1998
- Place
- Lower Saxony, Germany, Eschede, DE
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 52.7300, 10.2500 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 3 June 1998ICE 884 derailed at Eschede; 101 people died.
- 11 May 2001A memorial of 101 cherry trees opened at the site.
- August 2002Three men went on trial for negligent manslaughter.
- April 2003The case was discontinued in exchange for payments.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Eschede train disaster en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Deutschlandmuseum — The Eschede train disaster deutschlandmuseum.de ↗
- Wikipedia
- Deutschlandmuseum
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.