In Schlottwitz, a district of Glashütte in the county of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains, a car collided with a regional train at an unbarriered level crossing on Friday, 6 November 2026. According to initial reports, the accident happened around midday at Straße der AWG on the Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg railway line, which is served by the Müglitz Valley Railway (RB72). Polizei and Emergency services were deployed at the scene. Two people were injured and received medical attention. Both the car and the railcar sustained property damage.
According to the information available so far, the car crossed the level crossing as the railcar was approaching. It was initially unclear whether technical faults, poor visibility or errors by those involved contributed to the collision. On the day of the accident, police made no definitive statements about the cause, speed or the precise condition of the injured people. An expert report to establish what happened is customary after comparable incidents; no findings were available by the evening.
The Müglitz Valley Railway line was disrupted for a time as a result of the accident. The train involved was initially unable to continue; emergency services secured the scene, gathered evidence and arranged for the vehicles to be removed. The Deutsche Bahn supported the safety measures and passenger information work with its staff. Information about how long any disruption to regional services might last was only provisional that day.
The level crossing in Schlottwitz has no barriers. Such passively protected crossings remain common in rural areas; they are generally marked with crossbuck signs and signal lights. Statistical analyses show that crossings without barriers are particularly prone to accidents when traffic levels, visibility or terrain are unfavourable. Whether the local safety equipment or signage played a part in this case is being investigated by the police.
The town of Glashütte and the district of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains announced no immediate measures on Friday. Whether the incident will lead to additional safety measures at the crossing or changes to RB72 operations will depend on the investigation and any recommendations from the relevant transport authorities. Until then, emergency services typically urge people to take particular care at level crossings on the Heidenau–Kurort Altenberg line. No further authoritative information was available that evening.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).