Tuesday, January 27
The tragic accident of a 17-year-old man at Deutsche Oper U-Bahn station has led to Berlin’s traffic administration stating a clear warning for people not to climb from the platform onto the tracks. Spokesperson Petra Nelken told the German Press Agency, “Entering the railway facilities is prohibited. Period.”
The risk comes not only from oncoming trains but from the so-called power rail that runs along the track. The BVG said, “These power rails are permanently under a voltage of 750 volts direct current in regular operation,” and that the continuous flow of electricity is a fundamental prerequisite for safe and reliable operation. They added, “Therefore, without exception, the track area must never be entered.”
At around 3:10 am on Saturday morning, a teenager was killed at Deutsche Oper U-Bahn station by touching one these 750-volt power rails, dying from the electric shock. Police say that he had attempted to retrieve a fallen object from the track under a parked subway carriage.
While the death was a terrible accident, the traffic administration has reinforced their advice for what to do if you do drop something onto the tracks. You should always use the service and information column to contact somebody by pressing the button and describing the situation. Nelken assured, “There is no computer. You always talk to a person.”
For example, if a keychain or bag has fallen onto the tracks, call for help at the information board and a professional will be sent to collect it. If necessary, in such a case, they could stop the next train from arriving as a safety precaution.
The service columns also include an emergency call function if someone is facing acute danger to life. The main piece of advice remains clear: do not jump onto the tracks for any reason.
