Austria: ICE train passengers stuck in for 6 hours in tunnel – DW – 07/27/2025
Some 400 passengers left hot and in the dark on an Intercity Express (ICE) train in a tunnel near Vienna have been freed after an evacuation operation lasting more than six hours.
The high-speed Deutsche Bahn train was traveling from the Austrian capital to the northern German city of Hamburg.
Less than 15 minutes into the journey, the train stopped moving in a tunnel around 1:30 p.m. (1130 UTC/GMT) on Saturday due to a power failure, Austria's APA news agency cited the Austrian ÖBB railways as saying.
Austrian media reported that passengers were stuck in the heat for hours after the air conditioning stopped because of the power failure. The lights were also partly off, Austrian media reported.
With the help of around 100 rescue workers, the operation of freeing the passengers from the tunnel took more than six hours.
The delay was partly because of passengers entering the tunnel, ÖBB said.
As passengers were transferring to a replacement train within the tunnel, some people decided to leave on foot, the rail operator said.
For safety reasons, the power in the tunnel had to be turned off again, which meant the replacement train was unable to continue its journey.
Passengers were instead evacuated from the tunnel via emergency exits, which was completed around 8 p.m. Passengers were then brought back to Vienna on buses.
Two passengers were treated at the scene, APA reported, but none needed to be hospitalized.
The ÖBB warned of ongoing delays to long-distance trains out of Vienna as staff ensured no people remained inside the tunnel.
A spokesperson for German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Saturday evening that the train had a technical problem.
However, the spokesperson noted that ÖBB operated the section within Austria.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 days ago
- DW
How the Japanese came to love German "tree cake" – DW – 08/07/2025
The land of the rising sun is not where you would expect to find German baked goods, but due to a quirky history the coveted "Baumkuchen," or "tree cake," has worked its way into the hearts of the Japanese people, who line up for hours for a slice. Baumkuchen, or "tree cake," is named for its distinctive tree-ring pattern visible in each slice. In Japan, these rings symbolize longevity and prosperity, making the cake a popular gift for birthdays and weddings. Its soft, fluffy texture and simple flavor appeal to people of all ages. The cake's journey in Japan began during World War I on Ninoshima Island near Hiroshima, where German POW Karl Juchheim baked sweets as a gesture of peace. His legacy lives on through re-enactments of the original baking method—layering batter on bamboo and roasting it over a fire. After the war, Juchheim stayed in Japan and opened a pastry shop, introducing Baumkuchen to the Japanese public. Today, Baumkuchen is widely available across Japan, from luxury stores to convenience shops, and comes in various flavors like matcha. Though originally German, it has been embraced and adapted by Japanese culture, becoming a beloved local treat and a symbol of peace and resilience.
DW
3 days ago
- DW
Treasure islands in the Pacific (Part 1) – DW – 08/06/2025
It's an adventurous journey into a remote and fascinating world: in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, people search for hidden treasures, explore the consequences of climate change, or dive with whales. For this two-part documentary, a camera team travels in a propeller plane to the 'treasure islands' of the Pacific. They circumnavigate an area that – though roughly the size of China and the USA combined – has only half the population of Berlin. The Pacific Ocean is larger than the entire land mass of the Earth combined. All the continents could fit into it and still be surrounded by water. Today, it is increasingly becoming a strategic arena for the world's major powers – each seeking to safeguard its own economic and political interests. In Hawaii, the team accompanies the German Air Force's Eurofighter pilots, as well as naval divers from the German Armed Forces. They are practicing to defend German interests in the Pacific. From an economic point of view alone, it is absolutely clear 'that the Pacific has a very important, fundamental significance for Germany,' explains Ingo Gerhartz, a longtime officer from the German Air Force, who was recently named Commander of the NATO Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands. Lucie Knor, a German doctoral student, is researching how an increased uptake of greenhouse gases is affecting living conditions in the ocean around Hawaii. On the Cook Islands, the team finds out how climate change impacts the lives of whales. Whale researcher Nan Hauser and her team hope that their work will shed new light on the migration of whales – to protect them. They say their research is also about 'giving whales a voice so that people love and respect them,' says Nan Hauser. Many islands are facing an uncertain future. But on the Cook Islands, people are hoping for a new gold rush, thanks to the presence of minerals in the seabed that could become increasingly valuable as demand for renewable energies grows. Mark Brown, head of the Cook Islands government, says deep-sea mining has the potential to make his island nation more economically independent.
Local Germany
5 days ago
- Local Germany
German city of Heidelberg introduces minimum fares for Uber rides
The south-western city of Heidelberg has introduced minimum fares for Uber and other taxis alternatives like Bolt. It's currently the only major German city with minimum fares in place. The new regulation in Heidelberg stipulates that prices for trips in ride-share cars can be a maximum of 7.5 percent below the fees set for taxi drivers. Previously the price of Uber rides was found to be around 35 percent cheaper than taxi fares for the same ride. Taxi fares in Germany are regulated by the local district, and often have set minimum rates which can prevent taxi businesses from charging below a certain price. Ride sharing startups like Uber and Bolt have so far been exempt from these rules. How much more will an Uber ride cost? Unfortunately for customers of Uber, Bolt or similar app-based ride hailing services, rides around town will be significantly pricier going forward. As an example, DPA reported that a journey from Heidelberg's main station to it's world-famous castle, which takes about 15 minutes, could cost as little as €9 with Uber versus about €25 by taxi. READ ALSO: Weimar to Heidelberg - The best German university towns for foreign students Being limited to a maximum of 7.5 percent below taxi fares, the same Uber ride could be expected to cost just over €23 now. Why limit prices? A spokesperson for the city of Heidelberg told DPA, "The order is necessary to prevent dumping prices in rental car traffic - regardless of whether the services are platform-based or not." Uber criticized the decision, calling it a "black day for consumers," and suggesting that the rule would unfairly affect people with low incomes who might no longer be able to afford trips. A recent study from the University of Oxford's Department of Computer Science, however, suggests that Uber's dynamic pricing model creates higher fares for passengers and also lower earnings for drivers. Advertisement The non-profit consumer organisation Stiftung Warentest found that while Uber prices can be cheaper than taxi fares in some cases, they will also be significantly higher during times of high demand. One example was seen at the Oktoberfest in 2019 when an Uber ride from Munich Airport to the Wiesn cost almost €120 – €40 more than with a taxi. While Germany's regulations on taxi prices might keep prices higher at times, they also are designed to protect passengers from wildly inflated prices when demand surges. READ ALSO: 'Gute Fahrt' - The essential vocab you need for driving in Germany Will more German cities adopt minimum prices? Differences in the rules for taxi prices versus services like Uber have previously led to widespread protests by taxi drivers . The Federal Taxi Association sees similar pricing issues in more than 20 major German cities. "We urge all affected cities in Germany to follow Heidelberg's example," the taxi association's managing director told DPA. Advertisement Meanwhile the federal association "Wir fahren", has said it will support affected companies in taking legal action against the decision. The city of Leipzig had previously set minimum rates for ride service providers, but the city revoked the order at the end of May following a legal dispute. The district of Lörrach in southwestern Baden-Württemberg had introduced a similar regulation in 2022, but Uber is not actively operating there. The city of Munich has recently said it would not set minimum prices for ride share services for the time being. In the city of Heidelberg, which has a population of 155,000, there are 162 licensed taxi drivers and at least 95 vehicles at 18 companies organized through Uber, according to figures provided by the city. The city sees the taxi industry as part of the public service and "worthy of protection".
