Radio recordings examined after 23 die in train smash

Published on 23/09/2006 13:26

GERMAN prosecutors are examining recordings of railway radio communications today, following the horrific high-speed train crash that killed 23 people.

A hi-tech train that floated on powerful magnetic fields smashed into a maintenance car on an elevated test track - the first fatal accident on a maglev train.

Initial indications were that human error, not sophisticated maglev technology, was to blame for putting the maintenance vehicle on the track at the same time as the Transrapid train.

The train was moving at 125mph at the time of yesterday's accident but can reach speeds of up to 270mph.

The speeding train's low nose scooped up the maintenance car, hurling it against the front and along the roof of the sleek, advanced train.

Rescuers had to climb fire ladders and use cranes to reach the 13ft track to clear debris and retrieve the 23 dead and ten injured.

Maglev trains use powerful magnets that allow the train to skim along its guideway without touching it, reducing friction and increasing speeds.

A spokesman for track operator IABG, said: "At this time, the accident was not caused by a technical failure. It is the result of human error."