Fire brigade frees 24 passengers from stuck Wuppertal suspension railway
A power cut stopped a Schwebebahn car near Völklinger Straße late on Tuesday; firefighters used a turntable ladder to free all 24 passengers unhurt.
A power outage stopped a car on Wuppertal's suspension railway, the Schwebebahn, late on Tuesday, forcing firefighters to free 24 passengers with a turntable ladder, the fire service and the municipal utility said.
The car came to a halt at 23:35 local time just past the Völklinger Straße stop after a short circuit somewhere in the power line at the station, utility company Wuppertaler Stadtwerke said. The driver tried and failed to get the car moving again, and because no other train could tow it to the next stop, the fire brigade was called in.
Firefighters reached the car from a nearby bridge and took about 40 minutes to bring all 24 passengers down by turntable ladder; nobody was injured, broadcaster WDR reported. Twelve firefighters and paramedics took part in the rescue.
Technicians restored power overnight and pushed the stranded car to the next station, Stadtwerke said. The line, which had been shut, returned to its normal timetable early on Wednesday morning.
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What we know
- Official · Wuppertaler Stadtwerke A power outage stopped a Wuppertal Schwebebahn car just past Völklinger Straße station at 23:35 on Tuesday, utility company Wuppertaler Stadtwerke said.
- 2+ outlets · Tagesspiegel, WDR Firefighters freed all 24 passengers using a turntable ladder in a rescue that took about 40 minutes; nobody was injured, WDR reported.
- 2+ outlets · Tagesspiegel, WDR Twelve firefighters and paramedics took part in the rescue.
- 2+ outlets · Tagesspiegel, WDR Power was restored overnight and the line resumed its normal timetable early on Wednesday morning.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The Schwebebahn, suspended above the river Wupper, is Wuppertal's main form of public transport, and a stoppage like this closes the whole line until technicians restore power, since a stranded car cannot simply be towed to the nearest station by another train.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What happened on the Wuppertal Schwebebahn?
- A power outage stopped a car just past Völklinger Straße station late on Tuesday, and firefighters had to free 24 passengers with a turntable ladder.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No, nobody was injured, broadcaster WDR reported.
- When did services resume?
- Technicians restored power at around 04:00 and the line was back to its normal timetable from about 05:00, the utility company said.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.