- Further disruption to rail traffic after the cable fire
Disruptions Continue in Berlin's Train and S-Bahn Traffic After Cable Shaft Fire
Significant disruptions persist in Berlin's train and S-Bahn traffic following a fire in a cable shaft. Multiple cables are affected, leading to repair work that will continue into the weekend, according to Deutsche Bahn. Delays are expected to continue until Tuesday, impacting long-distance, regional, and S-Bahn traffic. "There's no new update or new prognosis at this time," a spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn stated.
The disruption affects train traffic between Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Berlin-Spandau. Some ICE and EC trains are being rerouted within Berlin, causing approximately 20-minute delays. These trains will not stop at Berlin-Spandau. S-Bahn Berlin reports continued disruptions on lines S41 and S42. Train service is suspended between Westend and Beusselstraße stations, with bus shuttles serving as a replacement.
Claim of Responsibility Published Online
Following the fires in cable shafts along railway tracks in Berlin and Bremen, a claim of responsibility has surfaced on the left-wing internet platform Indymedia. The Bremen State Protection Police is currently verifying its authenticity, as announced by the police on Saturday.
The statement reads, "The outages caused by these attacks hopefully result in effective interruptions in the capitalist routine." It further states that Deutsche Bahn, like no other company, forms the backbone of the German economy and fuels it.
Technical Cause Ruled Out
In Berlin, a fire broke out in a cable shaft overnight on Thursday. Deutsche Bahn quickly ruled out a technical cause. Initially, S-Bahn Berlin suspected vandalism.
The Tagesspiegel reported subsequent chaos at the main station, with passengers waiting in front of blocked escalators for access to the platform to avoid overcrowding.
In Bremen, the perpetrators targeted a cable shaft on a railway embankment with an incendiary device early Monday morning, according to the police. Initially, this led to no ICE trains running between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg via Bremen Hauptbahnhof. Regional trains on the Hamburg-Bremen route were also affected.
The police in Bremen are currently verifying the authenticity of a claim of responsibility published on Indymedia, stating that the attacks on cable shafts could cause significant disruptions to Deutsche Bahn's operations. Since the incident in Berlin, the Police have ruled out a technical cause and are investigating potential acts of vandalism.
