By Axel Lier, Julian Loevenich and Katharina Metag
Terminus Berlin Central Station! Within a short time, nothing worked in places at the main train station on Saturday morning.
Trains to northern and western Germany were canceled, there were delays of more than two hours, and people were stranded on the platforms.
The reason: Unknown persons had severed important fiber optic cables in Dortmund and Hohenschönhausen. A spokesman for the Federal Police in Berlin spoke to BZ of “targeted external influence” – i.e. an attack. It will be determined in all directions.
Forensic scientists secured tracks along the route Photo: Spreepicture
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (52, FDP) initially called the attack by unknown persons “acts of sabotage”. Cables were willfully and intentionally severed, “which are indispensable for train traffic.”
The destroyed lines serve as connections in the radio system, so-called GSM-R cables (Global System for Mobile Communications – Rail). It was said from railway circles that certain knowledge is required in order to interrupt them in a targeted manner. Due to the failure, the radio center could no longer reach the trains.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, all rail traffic in northern Germany was stopped. Complete standstill in Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein! Both in regional and long-distance traffic.
Football fans were also affected. VfL Wolfsburg played away against FC Augsburg. According to BZ information, many fans canceled their trip to the game.
A federal police investigator at the crime scene in Hohenschönhausen Photo: Spreepicture
In Berlin, trains that should have run to Hamburg were canceled without replacement. The route between the capital and NRW was also affected.
In Berlin’s main train station, there were long queues in front of the information desks within a short time. Some sat on their suitcases, others used the time to read.
A long line formed in front of the travel center at Berlin Central Station Photo: Olaf Selchow
After around three hours, the all-clear was given: the defect had been rectified. In Hamburg, around ten o’clock, the first regional trains rolled out of the main station again. A railway spokesman said, however, that impairments are still possible.
Amazing: Even when the rows in front of the information desks in Berlin’s main train station had thinned out, the platforms weren’t as crowded as on any other Saturday. There was no longer any sign of chaos or complete standstill.
Sarah Höfling (39) from Hamburg: “My train to Hamburg is cancelled. I am now trying to rebook on a train tonight” Photo: Olaf Selchow
It remains unclear who is responsible for the attack on the railway network. A letter of confession has not yet appeared. Yesterday afternoon, the federal police responsible secured tracks on the section affected in Berlin between the Hohenschönhausen and Gehrenseestrasse stations. The authority said it was being investigated in all directions.
Gerhard S. (73): “We want to go to southern Germany. Our train leaves in an hour and has not been affected so far – hopefully it stays that way” Photo: Spreepicture
Maiken Svendsen (30) and Katarine Bergkvist (24) from Sweden: “We were in Berlin for a congress. Now we want to go back to Denmark and have been waiting for the train for two hours.” Photo: Olaf Selchow