In the early hours of Friday, the goods train derailed near Kerpen, about 20 kilometres southwest of Cologne, following the collision.
A spokesperson from the Kerpen fire and rescue team said three people were injured, one of them seriously. They were all taken to hospital.
The incident happened around 1.20am. It is unclear what the goods train was carrying. According to initial findings, no substances have leaked.
The scene of the accident has been cordoned off while the cleanup work gets underway. The cause of the crash is being investigated.Â
What travel restrictions are in place?
The Cologne-Aachen rail line has been closed completely, resulting in severe travel restrictions. It is affecting domestic and international travel.
Local and long-distance trains between Cologne and Aachen, as well as to and from Brussels and Paris, have been hit by the closure. Meanwhile, the extreme winter weather situation in France and southern Germany is exacerbating the travel situation. Â
According to Deutsche Bahn (DB), ICE trains on the busy route between Cologne and Aachen have been diverted in both directions and will therefore be delayed by around 90 minutes.
A replacement bus service has been set up between Cologne and Aachen.
Some services are being cancelled throughout the day. DB said that due to the line closure "there will be train cancellations and delays on Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services".
On Friday morning, for instance, ICE trains between Frankfurt and Paris, and Paris and Stuttgart, were cancelled.
According to DB, the following local and regional transport lines are affected:
- RE 1 (RRX): Trains from Düsseldorf main station terminate and begin in Horrem
- S12 / S19: S-Bahn trains from Troisdorf end and begin in Horrem. On some services, the trains will end and begin in Sindorf
- RE 9: Trains from Aachen main station terminate and begin in Düren, while trains from Troisdorf end and begin in Horrem
More details on delays and cancellations can be found on Deutsche Bahn's website.
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