Train movement resumes in North Rhine-Westphalia amid a fresh crime scene in Saxony-Anhalt
In a series of unsettling events, a left-wing extremist group known as "Kommando Angry Birds" has reportedly claimed responsibility for a string of railway sabotage incidents in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Saxony-Anhalt.
The latest incident occurred in Düsseldorf, where allegedly deliberate cable fires paralysed the nationwide central north-south axis of Deutsche Bahn, causing significant disruptions to hundreds of long-distance and regional trains. The heavily frequented Duisburg-Düsseldorf route was also affected, but Deutsche Bahn has since reopened it, and train traffic in Düsseldorf and Duisburg is running as usual in the middle of the summer holidays.
The police in NRW are investigating the arson attack in Düsseldorf as a case of sabotage. Preliminary investigations suggest that the cable fire was deliberately set, similar to an earlier incident in Saxony-Anhalt, which also targeted a freight traffic route for coal transports in Hohenmölsen.
The state protection department in NRW is involved in the investigation of the arson attack in Düsseldorf. The authenticity of the claim of responsibility by "Kommando Angry Birds" is still being checked.
The impact of these incidents was felt by tens of thousands of travelers, including commuters and vacationers, some of whom were on their way to Düsseldorf Airport. Fortunately, the situation in NRW has eased, and train passengers can continue their journeys as planned, with no need for replacement bus services.
These incidents are not isolated events. Throughout 2024 and 2025, several arson and sabotage attacks have targeted railway infrastructure in different parts of Germany, causing significant disruptions to rail traffic. The modus operandi of these attacks, including the design of incendiary devices, has been noted to be similar across incidents in NRW and elsewhere.
Police and interior ministers, such as NRW's Interior Minister Reul, attribute these acts to left-wing extremism linked to this group. Earlier incidents involved published letters on left-wing platforms like Indymedia, which are affiliated with Antifa/hard-left networks, expressing ideological motives opposing Deutsche Bahn’s complicity in capitalism and military activities.
The connection between the incidents in NRW and Saxony-Anhalt is still unclear. Another suspected crime scene has been reported in Saxony-Anhalt, but no further details are provided in this article.
This pattern of left-wing extremist sabotage incidents on train tracks in NRW and Saxony-Anhalt indicates a linked pattern rather than isolated events. The authorities are working diligently to investigate these incidents and bring those responsible to justice.
General-news reports suggest a potential link between the arson attacks on railway infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Saxony-Anhalt, as both regions have been targeted by the left-wing extremist group "Kommando Angry Birds." Politics and crime-and-justice officials are actively investigating these incidents, working to uncover the group's motives and bring those responsible to justice.
