As of: March 1, 2024 8:52 a.m
After the ship accident on the railway bridge over the Hunte in Elsfleth, train traffic was interrupted. Ships cannot sail either. A solution should be found quickly for the economy in the Wesermarsch.
An initial schedule and a catalog of measures are to be presented today so that train traffic can be resumed as quickly as possible, Lower Saxony’s Economics Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) announced on Monday. The railway has already started an initial inventory. After a meeting with politicians from the affected communities, representatives of business and ports as well as Deutsche Bahn, Lies emphasized the urgency of a solution, especially with regard to the ports of Brake and Nordenham, which are dependent on freight traffic. It is clear to everyone involved that it must be a “temporarily fixed auxiliary bridge and that it will not be possible to open it,” said Lies.
Further information
It remains unclear whether the bridge will be completed by the timetable change at the beginning of December 2024. (11/15/2022) more
The railway wants to lift and inspect the middle section of the bridge with a floating crane next week. Shipping traffic on the Hunte will remain closed for that long. As the Brake water police (Wesermarsch district) announced, the accident on the railway bridge caused, among other things, the tracks to be bent and the bearings to be destroyed, and the substructure to have shifted. The Nordwestbahn as well as freight trains to the ports are affected by the interrupted rail traffic.
Mayor: Disaster for ports
Brake’s mayor Michael Kurz (SPD) speaks of a catastrophe for the ports in Brake and Nordenham. The railway delivers several million tons of grain, coal, animal feed and steel every year, primarily via rail, which are shipped from the ports. It is still unclear what will happen in the ports without goods. The port of Oldenburg now also has to be supplied with feed from Brake by truck for two weeks. Since Monday morning, representatives of the railway, Lower Saxony Ports and the companies affected have been discussing how to proceed.
Greens: Disaster for the Weser-Ems region
Sina Beckmann (Greens) hopes for a quick remedy in the coming weeks. “The damage to the Hunte Bridge is a disaster for the entire Weser-Ems region and beyond,” said the spokeswoman for ports and shipping for the Green Party in Lower Saxony on Monday. More than 10,000 tons of goods and goods are handled in the port of Brake every day and now have to be transported further by truck, says Beckmann. She understands that there are great concerns in the region.
Water police are investigating
A Dutch inland motor ship collided with the bridge on Sunday night. The captain probably misjudged the water level when he tried to drive under the bridge around 1:20 a.m., says a spokesman for the water police. According to the police, however, there was only minor damage to the inland vessel. The vehicle was therefore unloaded. No one was injured in the accident, a police spokesman said. The Brake water police are currently investigating the cause of the accident.
Railway line closed – trains between Bremen and Nordenham affected
The disruption to train traffic affects the RS 4 line of the Nordwestbahn between Elsfleth and Hude. Since then, the trains have been commuting between Bremen and Hude as well as Elsfleth and Nordenham. According to information from the Nordwestbahn, a replacement bus service has been set up between Elsfleth and Hude.
Further information
For commuters in Bremerhaven and Nordenham, only the Weser Tunnel remains. You have to take a long detour. more
Repairs to the sagging section of the highway are scheduled to begin next week. At the same time, plans are underway for a new building. (02/23/2024) more
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Hello Lower Saxony | 02/26/2024 | 19:30 o’clock