Excavator fire in Vaihingen: 200,000 euros in damage and rail traffic disrupted!

Excavator fire in Vaihingen: 200,000 euros in damage and rail traffic disrupted!

On Sunday afternoon, June 15, 2025, a serious incident occurred on the premises of a Deutsche Bahn substation in Vaihingen an der Enz, in the Ludwigsburg district. A 36-year-old excavator driver came into contact with the overhead line with the boom arm of his vehicle, which resulted in an arc. However, the fire that this caused was quickly extinguished.

There were significant disruptions to rail traffic during the fire-fighting and rescue work. Vaihingen/Enz train station was particularly affected, where both long-distance and local traffic were affected. The promised repair work on the overhead line is already underway, and rail traffic was running smoothly again on the evening of the incident. Nevertheless, travelers had to expect delays, especially on the route between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, due to a short-term closure of the relevant section of the route.

Damage and causes

The estimated material damage is around 200,000 euros, mainly affecting the excavator and the overhead line. Fortunately, no injuries were reported; the excavator driver remained uninjured. The substation itself suffered no further damage, which defused the situation. The investigation into the exact cause of the accident has been taken over by the Federal Police and is already underway.

According to Ludwigsburg24 tagesschau.de also highlights that the fire was quickly brought under control, which helped to avoid further complications. The damaged overhead line is also being rerouted quickly in order to restore the infrastructure as quickly as possible.

Overall, it can be said that despite the unpleasant incident and the associated disruptions, rail traffic was returned to normal on the evening of June 15, 2025. The affected passengers were informed about the delays and were able to adjust their itinerary accordingly.