Suspected instance of an extremist left-wing ideology
Coordinated Arson Attacks Disrupt Germany's Rail Network
In a series of disturbing events, two deliberate arson attacks targeted the key railway line between Duisburg and Düsseldorf in Germany on July 31 and August 1, 2025. These coordinated attacks caused significant disruption to passenger and freight traffic, affecting hundreds of trains and stranding many travelers.
The first fire was ignited in a cable tunnel on Thursday, causing damage to five thick cables, each 20 meters long, that control switches and signals. A second fire was discovered on Friday, about two kilometers away from the first attack site. The damaged cables caused disruptions in both local and long-distance traffic, affecting ICE lines to Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, as well as connections to North Germany, South Germany, and the Netherlands.
Passenger trains between Duisburg and Düsseldorf were severely affected, with many cancellations and delays. The Duisburg-Düsseldorf line handles over 620 passenger trains daily and is one of the busiest railway connections in Germany. In response, the railway company set up a bus shuttle service and rerouted long-distance traffic via Dortmund and Wuppertal to minimize disruptions.
Local lines were also affected, including travel to Düsseldorf Airport. Many passengers were still stranded at the main stations in Duisburg and Düsseldorf due to the numerous train cancellations and delays. The zuginfo.nrw portal reported disruptions on many local lines due to the damage caused by the fires.
Construction work on a parallel freight line in Duisburg-Wedau was temporarily suspended to handle some of the traffic on that route. NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer has promised rigorous prosecution and expressed concern about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
The ignition device was placed by a far-left extremist group named "Kommando Angry Birds," which opposes industrial systems. If confirmed, this attack would be another instance of left-wing extremist motivated attacks on Deutsche Bahn facilities, following similar incidents in 2017 and 2018. The group is known to the authorities as a left-wing extremist group and has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The repairs are expected to be completed by midnight, followed by test runs. Passenger trains between Duisburg and Düsseldorf are expected to resume their regular schedule in time for the early Saturday morning start. The investigations are ongoing, focusing on preventing further incidents amid heightened security around Germany's rail networks.
Such attacks on railway lines have been occurring for decades, although direct comparable recent incidents appear less frequent. Regardless, the current events stand out as a noteworthy resurgence or escalation of such militant actions. The "Kommando Angry Birds" claim and communication via left-wing platform Indymedia indicate this attack fits within that ideological framework, targeting the industrial transportation system.
North Rhine-Westphalia's politics were shaken as the general-news headlines highlighted a series of coordinated arson attacks that disrupted the rail network in the region. The attacks, carried out by the far-left extremist group "Kommando Angry Birds," caused considerable crime-and-justice concerns, with the group taking responsibility for the arson attacks on key railway lines.
