A vacant U2 subway train partially derailed on Tuesday evening at the Billstedt station in Hamburg. According to Hochbahn, train services are expected to resume on Thursday morning. Until then, a replacement bus service will continue to operate.
Hochbahn Successfully Uncouples Damaged Train
Hochbahn’s emergency teams successfully uncoupled the damaged train. This allowed the undamaged rear section to be moved, enabling passenger service between Billstedt and Mümmelmannsberg stations to resume at the start of operations on Thursday.
Full Recovery of Train Still Pending
Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing, and the complete recovery of the train could not take place on Wednesday. Therefore, buses will continue to operate every ten minutes on the affected route instead of trains. Hochbahn employees are assisting passengers at stations to find the replacement bus stops. The Merkenstraße and Steinfurther Allee stations are also affected by the closure of this section of the line.
Train Apparently Traveling at Excessive Speed
The train driver was reportedly traveling at excessive speed in a reversing track on Tuesday evening and collided with a buffer stop. Three carriages jumped off the tracks, according to a Hochbahn spokesperson. A train on the opposite track reportedly touched the damaged train as it passed, but there was no danger to passengers, the driver, or the train. The driver of the damaged train was taken to the hospital with suspected shock.
Power Cut Causes Another Train to Stop
Following the incident, the power had to be switched off, causing another train to stop on the open track. This train was evacuated, and approximately 172 passengers were transported to the next station by bus. According to police, about 36 emergency personnel were deployed.
Hamburg Journal Reports on the Incident
The incident was covered by the Hamburg Journal on NDR Fernsehen on January 21, 2026, at 7:30 PM.
Source: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/entgleiste-u2-in-billstedt-zugverkehr-soll-ab-donnerstag-wieder-laufen,ubahn-138.html
