Burning German ‘ghost train’ stopped near Austria border

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in southern Germany say efforts to put out a fire on a train turned into a spectacular chase after the driverless diesel engine began taking off toward Austria of its own accord. Firefighters had been called to put out a train blaze near the village of Strass at about 3 a.m. Friday. But shortly before they arrived the engine started moving downhill on the sloping track. It picked up speed as it rolled several kilometers (miles) toward the town of Freilassing. Railway officials managed to switch the “ghost train” onto a side track near Freilassing station before it could cross the border. The Bavarian Red Cross said in a statement that the fire was extinguished and nobody was injured.