Train transportation continues in North Rhine-Westphalia, while a new crime location emerges in Saxony-Anhalt.
Multiple Arson Attacks Disrupt Train Traffic in Germany
In late July and early August 2025, Germany witnessed a series of confirmed arson attacks on train cables, causing significant disruptions to rail traffic. The attacks occurred in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt, with the incidents under investigation as suspected left-wing extremist sabotage.
The attack near Düsseldorf involved arson on multiple cables, affecting hundreds of trains and tens of thousands of commuters and holidaymakers. A similar arson attack occurred near Wepau in Saxony-Anhalt on a freight line used for coal transport.
A left-wing extremist group called Kommando Angry Birds, which opposes industrial systems, claimed responsibility for the arson attack in Düsseldorf on the left-wing platform Indymedia, according to reports from Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Welle. The authenticity of the claim of responsibility is still being checked.
The arson led to significant delays, reroutings, and some train services being terminated prematurely. Deutsche Bahn completed repairs by August 2, replacing five 20-meter cables on the Düsseldorf-Duisburg stretch. The state protection agency in North Rhine-Westphalia is conducting investigations into the arson attack in Düsseldorf.
The police in North Rhine-Westphalia are assuming sabotage in relation to the arson attack in Düsseldorf, while no details were provided about any potential investigations into the suspected arson attacks in Saxony-Anhalt. The connection between the incidents in the two federal states is still unclear.
Despite the disruptions, train traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia has resumed as usual, with the replacement bus service no longer necessary. Train passengers can continue their journeys as planned, even during the summer holidays. A Deutsche Presse-Agentur spokesperson stated that everything is running as it should on the reopened route.
The investigations remain ongoing as law enforcement seeks to confirm perpetrators and prevent further attacks. The group "Commando Angry Birds" is known as a left-wing extremist participation campaign, according to statements from NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU). Initial investigations suggest that arson is the cause of this cable fire in Saxony-Anhalt. No additional cable fires or disruptions were mentioned in this paragraph. No information was given about the cause of the suspected arson attacks in Düsseldorf.
In light of the ongoing investigations, the arson attack in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, now becomes a matter of political and general-news interest. The state protection agency is actively probing the suspected left-wing extremist activity in relation to the arson attack. Meanwhile, the suspected arson attacks in Saxony-Anhalt remain under investigation, with initial investigations suggesting arson as the cause. The crime-and-justice sector is working diligently to confirm the perpetrators and prevent future similar incidents.
