A series of very unlucky equipment failures (unlikely, I think), an error in the signalling implementation, or trust in a more passive system (driver must obey signals and speed restrictions) rather than something active (passing red signals stops trains). I&#x27;d guess the latter, since this seems to be local trains on a low-traffic line.<p>In which case, there could be failures like a driver being allowed to do too many night shifts or something like that.<p>Presumably Germany will produce an official report on the cause.<p>The last railway fatality in Germany, not involving a road vehicle on a crossing, was in April 2012. So hardly frequent.