In Germany, damage to cables caused widespread disruptions to train service
In the German city of Gelsenkirchen, unknown individuals damaged cables along the railroad tracks, causing serious disruptions to rail service in the Ruhr region.
This was reported by Der Spiegel.
According to the Federal Police, the perpetrators’ motives are currently unknown. The railway company classified the incident as an act of vandalism.
Passengers at Gelsenkirchen Central Station were most affected by the damage. Deutsche Bahn announced that long-distance trains are temporarily not stopping in Recklinghausen, Gelsenkirchen, and Oberhausen.
Cancellations and delays have also been reported on a number of regional routes, including the RE2, RE3, RE42, RB32, RB46, and S2. Replacement bus service has been organized on some routes.
Deutsche Bahn recommends that passengers use online services to check current routes and schedule changes.
It is currently unclear when normal service will resume.
As a reminder, on January 8 in Andalusia, southern Spain, high-speed train schedules were disrupted due to the theft of cables on the railway section between the stations of Guadajoz and Córdoba.
NATO countries had hoped that increased patrols in the Baltic Sea would help prevent sabotage of undersea cables. However, the damage to yet another cable last week indicates that the deterrent effect is not working.
