Disrupted Train Track in North Rhine-Westphalia - Fresh Crime Scene Emerges in Saxony-Anhalt
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), there have been suspected arson attacks on Deutsche Bahn's crucial north-south rail line, specifically between Duisburg and Düsseldorf. The incidents involved deliberate fires in cable tunnels, causing significant disruptions to rail traffic [1][2].
These arson attacks have been under investigation by the police as acts of sabotage, with state security authorities also involved. A letter claiming responsibility was published on the left-wing platform "Indymedia" by a group calling themselves the "Angry Birds Commando." However, the authenticity of this letter is still being verified [1].
The cable fires in Düsseldorf disrupted a heavily frequented Duisburg-Düsseldorf route, causing a paralysis that lasted since Thursday and affected hundreds of long-distance and regional trains daily. The situation in NRW is easing, and rail passengers can continue their journeys as planned during the middle of the summer holidays [3].
However, the arson attacks affected tens of thousands of travelers, including commuters and vacationers, some of whom were on their way to Düsseldorf Airport. The paralysis also extended to the train stations in Düsseldorf and Duisburg, but they are running as usual in the morning [4].
Initial investigations suggest that the cable fire in Saxony-Anhalt, like the two in Düsseldorf, was also deliberately set. Another suspected arson attack occurred in Saxony-Anhalt on Friday evening, near the Webau district in Hohenmölsen [5]. The cable fire in Saxony-Anhalt was discovered on a freight traffic route for coal transports.
NRW Interior Minister, Herbert Reul (CDU), suspects left-wing extremists are behind the arson attack in Düsseldorf. The police in NRW are continuing their investigations, with the state protection authority also involved [6].
Despite the disruptions, the replacement bus service is no longer necessary, and everything is running again as it should, according to the spokesperson for Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Düsseldorf [7]. The rail traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia has resumed after the nationwide central North-South axis of Deutsche Bahn was paralyzed due to these incidents.
[1] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus162389398/Angry-Birds-Commando-Kabelfeuer-in-Dusseldorf-als-Sabotage-vermutet.html [2] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/dusseldorf-kabelfeuer-101.html [3] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Kabelfeuer-in-Dusseldorf-Nachwirkungen-im-Sommerferienverkehr-article21297234.html [4] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/dusseldorf-kabelfeuer-101.html [5] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/kabelfeuer-in-sachsen-anhalt-und-nrw-zugverkehr-wird-nach-angriffen-wieder-aufgenommen/27038488.html [6] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus162389398/Angry-Birds-Commando-Kabelfeuer-in-Dusseldorf-als-Sabotage-vermutet.html [7] https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Kabelfeuer-in-Dusseldorf-Nachwirkungen-im-Sommerferienverkehr-article21297234.html
- The arson attacks in North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically on Deutsche Bahn's north-south rail line, have drawn attention to the realm of crime-and-justice, as police investigate these incidents as acts of sabotage.
- The cable fires in Düsseldorf and Saxony-Anhalt, suspected to be acts of arson, have generated discussions in general-news, as well as in politics, given their impact on rail traffic and the possible involvement of left-wing extremists.
