Moselle: St. Aldegund - Closure after collision with lock

Yesterday afternoon, the 110 metre long river cruise ship "Elegant Lady" hit the lower gate of the Moselle lock in St. Aldegund. The lock had to be closed immediately due to the damage caused. As there is only one chamber available at this barrage at kilometre 78.4, unlike others along the Moselle, this also brought all shipping traffic to a standstill.

Three passengers on the cruise ship suffered injuries in the collision and one person had to be treated in hospital. The ship, which was built in 2003 and last modernised in 2017, has a total of 63 cabins. Around 50 other ships have already registered for the lock and will now have to wait - with an uncertain outcome.

Hope for the St. Aldegund lock

Divers have already gained an initial overview of the damage caused. According to the results, neither the chamber walls nor the door drive were affected. In a press release, the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping (GDWS) The hope is that the locks can be resumed soon so that at least the waiting ships can continue their journey.

"And if not, we will find another way - for example by using emergency locks with dam beams, as has already proved successful. Despite the accident, shipping on the Moselle will not come to a complete standstill," explained GDWS Director Eric Oehlmann. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder intends to visit St. Aldegund in the evening to gain an impression of the situation.

Already the second accident on the Moselle

The current accident on the Moselle federal waterway is already the second serious incident within a year: at the beginning of December 2024, a motorised goods vessel was drove unbraked into the lower gate of the Müden lock. Both door leaves were torn from their anchoring and severely damaged.

It was initially expected to be closed for several months. However, the repairs, which involved replacing the gate, were completed in record time after just 55 days. This would also be desirable for the St. Aldegund lock, should the damage prove to be more serious.