DB has to replace nearly half a million sleepers

In 2023, DB is forced to replace nearly half a million sleepers due to the train crash in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in June 2022, according to the railway portal Railway Supply.

Defective concrete sleepers were one of the main causes of the catastrophe.

This replacement exceeds the usual annual rate by 5 times and will result in a decrease in the accuracy of train schedules on 400 sections.

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DB also conducted an inspection of sleepers manufactured using the same filler as the sleepers at the accident site and found that 137,000 sleepers need to be replaced.

Additionally, DB is conducting an internal investigation to identify potential violations of corporate standards related to the procurement and installation of poor-quality sleepers.

In June 2022, a double-decker train accident occurred in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the German Federal Agency for Railway Accident Investigation (BEU) presented an interim report on the event.

Defective concrete sleepers were identified as one of the main causes of this catastrophe.

As a result, in 2023, Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s national railway company, is compelled to replace approximately half a million sleepers.

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This quantity exceeds the usual annual rates by five times. The sleeper replacement will require additional track works on 400 sections, leading to significant disruptions in train schedules.

Already in July 2022, DB decided to inspect 200,000 sleepers manufactured using the same material as the defective sleepers at the accident site.

As a result of the inspection, 137,000 sleepers were found to need replacement. The cost of replacing these defective sleepers as of September 2022 was estimated in the millions of euros.

In November 2022, the inspection program was expanded to an additional 130,000 sleepers.

Furthermore, Deutsche Bahn has initiated an internal investigation to identify potential violations of corporate standards that may have led to the procurement and installation of substandard sleepers.

Photo: Deutsche Bahn (DB)

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