Unruly Mallards Shut Down S-Bahn Line in Hamburg for Nearly Two Hours
Family of ducks block crucial Hamburg S-Bahn tunnel, causing nearly a two-hour shutdown. - Subway passage in Hamburg impeded due to family of ducks: vital path obstructed for approximately two hours.
Things got feathery in downtown Hamburg's Altona when a family of geese, or Brandgans (belonging to the duck family), decided to take a dip in an unconventional location—the S-Bahn tracks. Their restful retreat on the electrified railway lines led to a safety scare that brought the Federal Police, firefighters, and Bahn security in a coordinated rescue mission.
Citizens spotted the two proud parents and their ten little ones hanging out on the tracks and raised the alarm. The authorities promptly responded by severing power to the railway line and shutting down the S-Bahn service for over an hour-and-a-half, nearing the two-hour mark[1][2].
The tactical intervention was led by Federal Police officers, who successfully corralled the ten ducklings into a cage within the tunnel. However, rescuing the grown-ups proved to be a mucky affair, as the feisty birds put up a fight[1][2]. Despite their stubborn antics, the officers managed to safely capture both parents and house them in a cage as well[1][2].
True to the adage, "home is where the heart (and the ducklings) is," the avian family was eventually released into a nearby park unscathed[1][2]. This whole ordeal certainly shook up Hamburg-Altona's train riders, reminding us there's often quite a bit more going on beneath the surface than meets the eye!
[1]https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehre/berliner-linie-ducks-tunnel-s-bahn-verkehr-verspatung--berliner-linie-am-kopfbahnhof-hauptbahnhof/27022896.html
[2]https://www.n-tv.de/region/hamburg/ducks-tunnel-altona-ducks-summer-tv-auf-der-s-bahn-article27216102.html
I'm not sure about the impact on the commuter's lifestyle, but the unexpected incident with the geese could potentially become a general-news topic. Moreover, it's intriguing to speculate about the reaction of pet owners if the scenario involved their pets blocking a train track.
