Rail traffic - Delays and cancellations due to defective signal box
A defective interlocking tower in Dortmund disrupted train traffic in the eastern Ruhr area. Both local and long-distance trains were affected - many trains did not stop in Dortmund. There were delays and partial cancellations. The disruption could not be rectified until four hours later.
"Train traffic is running again", said a spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn in the afternoon. However, there could still be delays in the evening hours. The cause of the defect was a technical failure. Further details were initially not known.
Long-distance trains were rerouted
In long-distance traffic, trains to and from Munster were rerouted - without stopping in Dortmund. Trains to and from Hamm were rerouted between Hamm and Dortmund. The delays were estimated to be between 20 and 25 minutes by Deutsche Bahn. "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our passengers", explained a Bahn spokeswoman.
On Friday in North Rhine-Westphalia, another defect occurred in another interlocking tower - in the Wegberg area. The RB34 line was affected. "Trains are running slower in the affected track section", said another message. "As a result, there are now delays and partial cancellations." At the time of the disruption, there was no further information on its duration.
The disruption in rail traffic affected trains that typically use Dortmund main station, causing them to bypass the station entirely. German Railways had to divert long-distance trains heading towards Hamm, leading to delays and signal box adjustments. The failure of the signal box in Dortmund resulted in a significant delay in rail traffic within the Ruhr area. The malfunctioning of the railroad system in North Rhine-Westphalia reflects a recent trend of technical failures affecting rail traffic. If not resolved promptly, these failures may result in severe delays or cancellations in the future rail traffic.
