Rail movement in North Rhine-Westphalia continues, another crime scene emerges in Saxony-Anhalt
In a series of disturbing events, rail infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Saxony-Anhalt has been targeted by arson attacks, causing widespread disruption and affecting tens of thousands of travelers.
The latest incident was reported in Saxony-Anhalt, where a cable fire was discovered on Friday evening. Initial investigations suggest that this fire was also deliberately set, following a similar pattern of sabotage observed earlier in the year.
In NRW, a cable fire near Düsseldorf disrupted the heavily frequented route between Duisburg and Düsseldorf, causing disruptions to hundreds of trains in long-distance and regional traffic. The state protection department in North Rhine-Westphalia is currently investigating this arson attack.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul has expressed his suspicion that left-wing extremists are responsible for the arson attack in Düsseldorf. A claim of responsibility was published on the left-wing platform "Indymedia" by a group calling itself the "Commando Angry Birds". The authenticity of this claim is still being checked.
The sabotage in Düsseldorf caused significant disruptions to railway services, but normal operations have since resumed following cable repairs. In contrast, the situation in Saxony-Anhalt remains uncertain, with no confirmation of a connection to the Düsseldorf incident.
The repairs in both locations involved the replacement of five cables with a total length of approximately 100 meters on the nationwide central North-South axis of the German Railway in Düsseldorf, and an unspecified number of cables in Saxony-Anhalt.
These incidents are part of a pattern of similar sabotage and arson attacks on railway cables in Germany, attributed to left-wing extremist groups. The "Angry Birds Kommando" has claimed responsibility for at least one of the cable fires, stating their motive as environmental activism against a "system of destruction".
In a positive development, the situation in NRW is easing during the summer holidays, with no need for replacement bus services. Train stations in Düsseldorf and Duisburg are running as usual. However, the situation in Saxony-Anhalt remains uncertain, with another suspected arson attack occurring on a freight traffic route for coal transports in Hohenmölsen.
As the investigations continue, it is clear that these acts of sabotage are having a significant impact on the rail network and the passengers who rely on it. The authorities are working diligently to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
In connection with the ongoing arson attacks on the German rail infrastructure, the latest developments have seen politics and sports taking a backseat in national news, as general-news coverage focuses on the escalating situation. The implication of left-wing extremist groups in the recent arson attack on a cable near Düsseldorf, perpetrated by the "Angry Birds Kommando," raises concerns about the potential spread of crime-and-justice issues to other regions, such as the suspected arson attack on a freight traffic route in Hohenmölsen, Saxony-Anhalt.
