German rail watchdog plans mass safety check

BERLIN, July 16 (Reuters) - All goods wagons operating on German railways should be subjected to additional checks in the light of a recent series of accidents and breakdowns, the country's railway supervisory authority said on Thursday.

In a letter published on its website, the Federal Railway Authority (EBA) said that following an accident last month in Viareggio, Italy that killed 22, as well as other incidents, "supervisory measures" to guarantee safety were needed.

"All wheelset axles used in goods wagons should be subjected to appropriate non-destructive testing to confirm they are free of cracks within a period of time that guarantees safety," the authority said, without specifying a deadline.

A spokesman for the German Transport Ministry said an agreement on how to proceed should be reached as quickly as possible with other European rail watchdogs.

A spokeswoman for German national rail operator Deutsche Bahn [DBN.UL] said the company had no comment for now.

In the letter addressed to rail firms operating in Germany dated July 13, the EBA gave them until to Friday to come up with a written response to its recommendations.

The capital Berlin is currently experiencing delays to rail transport due to maintenance work on its inner-city metro trains, many of which are out of service.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket and Dave Graham)