After the accident of two freight trains in the Lower Saxony district of Gifhorn, rail traffic on the busy route between Hanover and Berlin will remain restricted for a longer period of time.

Until December 16, passengers will have to be prepared for longer travel times and diversions on the route, as the railway announced on Wednesday.

It had previously been assumed that the issue would be resolved by November 27th.

However, the special units of the fire brigade are still busy “in a complex process pumping out the propane gas from the four overturned tank wagons and burning off the remaining amounts in a controlled manner,” it said.

"The low outside temperatures make this work even more difficult."

Connections with a change in Hamburg or Frankfurt as an alternative

Only when the fire brigade has cleared the scene of the accident can the railway start cleaning up and remove the overturned wagons.

After that, the damage to the infrastructure would have to be examined more closely and repairs would have to begin.

According to Bahn, passengers who want to postpone their trips planned for the period between November 18 and December 16 can use their ticket flexibly in long-distance traffic up to and including seven days after the end of the disruption.

"Depending on the departure or destination in NRW, travelers are recommended to check connections with a change in Frankfurt or Hamburg as a possible faster alternative," said the railway.

The accident happened on Thursday last week on the route between Hanover and Berlin.

First, a freight train stopped at a signal.

According to the findings of the investigators, an employee of Deutsche Bahn wrongly released the route for another freight train with 25 tank cars filled with propane gas.

This collided with the stationary train, four wagons tipped on their side, at least one was so badly damaged that gas escaped.

The train driver suffered minor injuries, the overhead line was massively damaged.

The railway employee is being investigated for dangerous intervention in rail traffic and negligent bodily harm.