Railway sabotage in North Rhine-Westphalia: investigations into cable destruction!

Railway sabotage in North Rhine-Westphalia: investigations into cable destruction!

Train traffic between Cologne and Düsseldorf has come to a standstill again. On Monday there was a suspected act of sabotage when unknown people in Leverkusen-Rheindorf cut fiber optic cables for signaling technology. This act had a serious impact on rail connections, meaning that numerous trains on regional and long-distance lines, including the RE1, RE5 and S6, had to be rerouted. As a result, the route between Cologne and Düsseldorf was closed for several hours Deutschlandfunk reported.

The state security agency has now started investigating and is not ruling out a politically motivated background. In the crime, which happened around 1:15 a.m., a defective signal box was identified as the cause, which was triggered by the damaged cables. The police and public prosecutor's office have confirmed the situation and are working closely with state security.

Investigations and suspicions

What is particularly worrying is that similar acts have attracted attention in the past. There were already attacks on railway lines between Düsseldorf and Duisburg in August, which indicate a left-wing extremist group, and at the end of July 2024 there were targeted interventions in the infrastructure between Bremen and Hamburg. Loud WDR These incidents led to massive disruptions in long-distance and local transport.

In another future direction, it will also be discussed how well Deutsche Bahn is prepared for such incidents. Although experts emphasize that 100% protection is theoretically not possible, measures are still being taken to increase security. A coordination team for critical infrastructure, GEKKIS, is being set up and investments amounting to 180 million euros have already been decided on protective measures.

Current situation and outlook

There are currently no major delays or cancellations on the route between Cologne and Düsseldorf, but the uncertainty surrounding repeated attacks affects travelers. The trains are now running via Leverkusen again, but late. This shows that the minds of rail employees are increasingly concerned with the question of how safety for passengers and critical infrastructure can be sustainably guaranteed.

Investigations are ongoing and authorities are trying to get to the bottom of these targeted attacks. In such situations, it is even more important that not only the railways but also politicians take action to take measures that can prevent such serious disruptions. The protection of critical infrastructure is a central concern - a point that NDR illuminated again and again.

It remains to be seen what new security concepts will be developed to minimize the risks for the railway and give travelers a feeling of safety.