Crowding at Munich Hauptbahnhof caused by building work and delays, city says

The crowding that left travellers at Munich's main station, the Hauptbahnhof, unable to move forwards or backwards on 19 June was caused by several operational factors coming together, according to Deutsche Bahn. The account was given in the city's reply to a question from CSU city councillor Laurenz Kiefer, answered by Dr Hanna Sammüller, head of the district administration department. Mr Kiefer cited a Süddeutsche Zeitung report of 19 June, saying travellers had described the situation as dangerous, particularly given the high temperatures.

According to the station management, the front section of platform 18/19 was half closed because of construction work for the second S-Bahn trunk line. At the same time, a line closure towards Augsburg increased passenger numbers. An ICE train arrived at platform 19 around 60 minutes late while many departing passengers were already waiting on the cross platform. Staff closed off the platform so arriving passengers could leave, which caused people waiting on the cross platform to bunch together. The crowd was cleared through targeted management of passenger flows, additional DB Security staff and, finally, the reopening of platform 19.

No emergency calls about the incident were received by Munich's integrated control centre, and no fire service or ambulance crews were sent. The city's fire service asked Deutsche Bahn's station management for a statement. The city said it had not been informed in advance about the specific situation on 19 June, adding that operational planning and the management of passenger flows are the responsibility of Deutsche Bahn as operator. The fire service is, however, involved in planning the construction phases, and Deutsche Bahn is required to agree new phases with it in advance.

The reply states that the authorities and Deutsche Bahn coordinate regularly, both when planning construction work and in unusual operating conditions. The fire service carries out regular fire safety checks at peak times, including checks that agreed escape routes are kept clear during construction. For predictable busy periods such as concerts, football matches and the Oktoberfest, DB Security draws up a security plan agreed with all parties.

A similar incident occurred at the Starnberg wing station on 26 May. According to Deutsche Bahn, it was caused by the closure of the first S-Bahn trunk line between the Hauptbahnhof and München-Pasing, which forced passengers onto regional trains. Measures taken afterwards included moving diverted S-Bahn trains into the main train shed, more information on alternative travel options, allowing long-distance trains to be used between the Hauptbahnhof and Pasing during the closure, adjusting platform allocation for future diversions and extra staff to manage passenger flows. Deutsche Bahn said these steps prevented comparable situations during the following construction phase, and that the June incident arose from different operational circumstances.