Through a thick mist one morning last week two fast trains ran close together on the line from Berlin to Cologne and Neunkirchen. Ahead was a Berlin-Cologne Christmas special, jampacked with third-class passengers. Behind was the regular Berlin-Neunkirchen express. As the Christmas special slowed down for Genthin station, near Magdeburg, the express passed a stop signal. Either the engineer did not see the signal, or its mechanism was faulty. Without slowing down, the express ploughed into the rear of the special, telescoping three flimsy third-class coaches. When rescuers had counted up...
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