Dahlerau Train Disaster - Aftermath

Aftermath

40 years after the incident, the railway accident is an often-discussed event in the populace of Radevormwald, especially around its anniversary. While some regard discussing the topic as sensationalism, others consider the continuous dealing with the events as a lack or failure of coming to terms with it. As it was not yet common in the 1970s to offer psychological counselling for those involved in the accident, i.e. survivors, next of kin and rescue workers, and as the victims of the event were all local people (contrary to other large-scale accidents, where the geographical distribution of victims usually is less shallow), some unique behaviour patterns can be observed in Radevormwald. Most citizens know about the accident, and many had relatives or friends who were involved in the accident in some way. People who lost family members become aggressive towards those who survived, damaging the socio-psychological climate of the small town. It has been reported that some people, now in their 20s, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder even though they were not alive at the time of the accident, and would go as far as not using trains at all. This is a behaviour previously observed with children of survivors of the Holocaust.

Dahlerau station was equipped with Indusi protected exit signals in 1975. The line from Wuppertal to Radevormwald was closed in 1976.

Since 1989, an initiative exists to establish a museum service on the line. The initiative has purchased part of the former railway line in 1994, including the station of Dahlerau and the place where the incident took place. The line only continues unto a point a few kilometres south of the station; the remaining length of track to Radevormwald was flooded during the construction of the Wupper Dam in the 1980s.