German Rail Disaster: Flaw in German train design 'caused crash'

THE GIANT cranes stood idle for most of yesterday as rescue teams hacked at the last 300-ton slab of concrete by hand. Underneath the rubble of Eschede's road bridge, the crushed metal gave up yet another corpse, bringing the death toll of Germany's worst rail disaster to 96.

Apart from 20 victims, the majority of the dead remain nameless. Until the forensic scientific work is completed, most relatives will not be confronted with the task of claiming the unidentifiable. Even dental records will not suffice in most cases because the victims' teeth and jaws are smashed beyond recognition.

As the rescue work drew to its conclusion, the special investigators took over. Yesterday, they gathered more evidence pointing the blame at the third wheel in the carriage immediately behind the locomotive.

Government officials in Bonn confirmed that the steel rim of the wheel had broken during the journey. Beyond ruling out sabotage, they could offer no explanation. Metal fatigue remained the prime suspect.

What occurred after the wheel rim snapped is clearer. At the points approaching Eschede station, the broken wheel is thought to have jumped the rail. Travelling at an angle, the protruding first carriage struck the bridge pillars and wrenched itself off the locomotive. Several coaches got past the bridge before it collapsed. The greatest number of dead were in the fourth car, which got past the bridge but flipped over on its side.

This account of the accident has raised questions about the safety of first-generation Inter City Express (ICE) trains. The remaining 59 trains of this type were hurriedly inspected yesterday, and the first 10 were back on track in the afternoon.

But the checks will not allay safety concerns. It emerged yesterday that the train had received its 20,000km service on the eve of its final journey, and had been given a clean bill of health.

Experts are beginning to conclude that it was not the train that was flawed, but perhaps the fundamental design of ICEs. Unlike the French TGV, which is a high-speed train designed to run on dedicated tracks, Germany's ICE is a tag-on to existing tracks.

The track cutting through Eschede is an upgraded low-tech line, and the flyover that collapsed was designed for traffic at lower speeds. The TGV's undercarriage is regarded by German experts as safer and more sophisticated than the suspect wheels of the ICE.

The list of unflattering comparisons is long. The articulated coupling of ICE coaches is considered less stable than TGV technology. The second- and third-generation ICEs are better designed and lighter than those that crashed at Eschede. Germany has not invested as much in building high-speed tracks, yet German Railways tries to keep up with French speeds. The French cut straight through the countryside. The Germans cut corners in other ways.

How much of this will be in the final report on the Eschede tragedy remains to be seen. A lot of national pride rests in the ICE. Potential clients around the world choosing between TGV and ICE will be drawing their own conclusions.