The railway chaos on Saturday (October 8th) is now officially classified as a “politically motivated act” by the state security investigators. The news ticker.
- After the act of sabotage on Deutsche Bahn : Bundeswehr General Breuer warns of further attacks
- Sabotage on the train – security expert Neumann : “Russia has an interest in causing panic in Europe”
- Sabotage as the cause of the disruption : Federal police initiate investigations – Minister of Transport Wissing speaks of a “willful act”
- This news ticker is updated regularly
Update from October 11, 7 a.m.: After the targeted sabotage of the Deutsche Bahn cable network, terrorism expert Peter Neumann warned of major security gaps in the protection of critical infrastructure in Germany. Above all, it is a problem that 80 percent of the critical infrastructure in Germany is not in state hands, but in private hands, Neumann told the Augsburger Allgemeine .
Protective measures are often not economically lucrative enough. “A better partnership between the state and private actors is therefore needed for a safer infrastructure,” he said.
“Nodes where everything comes together and where you can paralyze a lot with relatively little effort must be protected,” emphasized Neumann. Here, the protection of the physical infrastructure is now lagging behind the cyber area because there have been more attacks there in the past. The railway sabotage only became possible because, for example, in the areas of transport and energy in this country, no security precautions against sabotage attacks had been taken for too long, said Neumann.
After the act of sabotage on Saturday, demands for better protection of the infrastructure increased. Representatives of the traffic light parties and the CDU demanded this at the weekend as a consequence of the incidents. On Saturday morning, the railways stopped all long-distance traffic in Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein and large parts of regional traffic for around three hours. Private railway companies were also affected.
“State-controlled sabotage” on the railway conceivable: State security sees “politically motivated act”
Update from October 10, 11:40 a.m .: As a police spokesman for the dpa announced on Monday morning (October 10), the state security in Bochum assumes a “politically motivated act” in the case of the train sabotage over the weekend. “We have formed a larger investigative group for state security, which is working flat out to clarify the background to the crime.”
The cable damage occurred in the area of the train station in Herne, but the exact crime scene was not disclosed for tactical reasons. “There is nothing to see now anyway, since the damage has been repaired,” said the police spokesman. Since Berlin was also a place of sabotage, the investigators from the Ruhr area are in close contact with their colleagues at the State Criminal Police Office in the capital. State security is also investigating there.
Long-distance transport board member Peterson praises employees: emergency concept worked “optimal”
Update from October 10, 10:25 a.m .: From Deutsche Bahn’s point of view, the group’s emergency concepts “worked perfectly” when the act of sabotage occurred. “Our teams restored radio traffic just three hours after the failure,” praised long-distance transport board member Michael Peterson on Monday (October 10) in Berlin. “That’s really, really good and they deserve a big thank you.” Already in the morning the trains could have run again. However, the effects in the form of delays and cancellations were felt throughout the long-distance network for much longer.
Sabotage causes train chaos: Expert explains what Russia’s plan could be
Update from October 10, 2022, 7.10 a.m .: The exact background to the train chaos on Saturday is still unclear, the investigations into the momentous sabotage continue. According to a spokeswoman for the Berlin police, a political background cannot be ruled out. However, investigations are carried out in all directions. The image had already been quoted from a BKA paper on Sunday. Accordingly, the Federal Criminal Police Office also considers state sabotage to be conceivable (see update from Sunday, October 9th, 1 p.m.).
The security expert Peter Neumann considers a Russian attack on the critical infrastructure in Germany to be possible. “Russia has an interest in causing panic in Europe and signaling that it can paralyze life very violently,” the scientist told RTL. It takes significant knowledge to attack these nodes. However, there is of course no clear evidence. “Right now it’s still a theory.”
According to a report, the SPD is considering giving the federal police more powers. “The threat level is high. The acts of sabotage on our infrastructure have made this very clear again,” said parliamentary group leader Dirk Wiese of the Rheinische Post . It is therefore important “that our security authorities have the necessary investigative powers. In particular, we now have to get a modern federal police law up and running in the Bundestag very quickly.” The last reform was from 1994, and a lot has changed since then. In 2021, a reform of the Federal Police Act failed in the Bundesrat.
After sabotage on Deutsche Bahn: This is known so far
Update from October 9, 10:47 p.m .: After the sabotage on the train, the investigations are still in full swing. In two different places in Germany, previously unknown persons have severed important cables. The result: the trains in northern Germany stood still for hours on Saturday. Who is behind this? This is known about the background, perpetrators and motive of the train sabotage so far.
Update from October 9th, 6:36 p.m .: A self-made explosive device was found at a train station near Erfurt (Thuringia). A witness discovered a suspicious object next to the platform at Straußfurt station and alerted the police, said the Sömmerda police inspection in the afternoon. The area around the train station was blocked off extensively. According to the police, the explosive device was secured and removed. Backgrounds are initially unclear.
After the act of sabotage on Deutsche Bahn: Bundeswehr General Breuer warns of further attacks
Update from October 9, 5 p.m .: Bundeswehr General Carsten Breuer has warned of further attacks on critical infrastructure in Germany. “Every substation, every power plant, every pipeline” can be attacked and be a possible target, the commander of the new territorial command of the Bundeswehr told Bild am Sonntag.
“Here in command, we are primarily prepared for hybrid threats,” Breuer continued. In particular, he included “influencing, with attacks on infrastructure and with cyber attacks, or, for example, reconnaissance flights with drones over barracks”. The security authorities would have to adapt to this threat situation and keep an eye on “what the most likely scenarios are”.
“It’s the state of things between not being completely at peace, but not really being at war either,” said Breuer in the ” Bild am Sonntag “. The SPD contradicted this assessment of the situation, the afp news agency reported.
Breuer called on citizens to change their behavior. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has shown that war in Europe is possible again. Everyone has to be mentally prepared for that. He also advised to adjust the storage in the household and to buy a flashlight and enough batteries.
In an emergency, however, Germany could defend itself, Breuer said. “Militarily we have taken a step forward. In any case, we can do a lot to counter the influence we are currently being subjected to.” At the same time, he warned against underestimating the nuclear threats from Russia. “Our way of life, our values, our entire society” are threatened.
“I do not share Carsten Breuer’s analysis,” said Dorothee Martin, spokeswoman for transport policy for the SPD parliamentary group. “Of course the situation is serious.” She referred, for example, to the sabotage of the train, which paralyzed train traffic in large parts of northern Germany on Saturday. “But that’s no reason to panic, because of course we are in a state of peace in Germany.”
After train chaos in Germany: Insider knowledge about the train is necessary according to security circles
Update from October 9th, 3:15 p.m .: The state security determined after the train chaos on Saturday. But there is no official information about the motive or possible perpetrators. However, it seems certain that it was a targeted attack. The image reported on Sunday that the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) considers sabotage to be conceivable in an internal assessment ( see also the update from October 9, 1 p.m. ). Accordingly, the action also requires “the outflow of sensitive information about the route network of Deutsche Bahn AG”. The BKA and the Federal Ministry of the Interior did not comment on the picture report when asked.
Security circles said that so-called fiber optic cables were deliberately damaged in Berlin and Herne in North Rhine-Westphalia. The backup system also failed, reports the dpa news agency. According to estimates from security circles, the procedure requires insider knowledge about the railway. As an indication against perpetrators from the left-wing extremist scene, to whom attacks against the railways have been attributed in the past, is that no confession letter has appeared so far.
Sabotage at the train – security expert Neumann: “Russia has an interest in causing panic in Europe”
Security expert Peter Neumann considers a Russian attack on the critical infrastructure in Germany to be conceivable. “Russia has an interest in causing panic in Europe and signaling that it can severely paralyze life,” the researcher told RTL TV. It takes significant knowledge to attack these nodes. “It probably wasn’t amateurs or individuals, it was something done by professionals.”
However, Neumann raises concerns: “But of course there is no clear evidence. That’s why you have to be careful. It’s still a theory at the moment.”
“State-controlled sabotage” conceivable: Spicy BKA paper on the railway chaos apparently revealed
Update from October 9th, 1 p.m.: After the serious train chaos on Saturday, state security at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office took over the investigation. On Saturday, unknown persons destroyed important Deutsche Bahn communication cables in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen and also in North Rhine-Westphalia, causing chaos. “The state protection of the LKA has taken over the investigation,” said a spokeswoman for the Berlin police on Sunday of the German Press Agency.
Although it cannot be ruled out that there is a political background, investigations are being carried out in all directions, according to the spokeswoman. Results are no longer expected on Sunday. But as the picture reports, the BKA should not want to rule out at least state-controlled sabotage. The portal quotes from a BKA paper that is supposed to be available: “In connection with the crime scenes that are spatially far apart (Herne/NRW and Berlin/BE) and the temporal proximity to the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, one would be state controlled sabotage at least conceivable.”
According to this, “critical infrastructure facilities” and in particular “the transport sector with rail transport are subject to an abstract risk of becoming the target of attacks and sabotage actions”. However, the BKA paper does not entirely rule out sabotage by left-wing extremists. “In addition, authorship from the area of politically motivated crime would also be conceivable. Among other things, Deutsche Bahn is the focus of the left-wing scene for the transport of fossil fuels. Players regularly try to disrupt rail traffic…”
After the train chaos: the search for perpetrators is ongoing
Update from October 9th, 10.40 a.m .: Hours of chaos caused a disruption at Deutsche Bahn on Saturday. During the course of the day, the suspicion was confirmed: the train chaos is probably due to sabotage. Unknown persons had destroyed important communication cables. Now the police are looking for the perpetrators. Investigations would be conducted in all directions, the federal police said. In the evening, the investigations were then handed over to the State Criminal Police Office in Berlin, as spokesman for the federal police and the Berlin situation center confirmed early Sunday morning.
“We have a crime scene in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen,” said a spokesman for the Berlin Federal Police Directorate of the German Press Agency. “Another one is in North Rhine-Westphalia.” From security circles it was said that so-called fiber optic cables were intentionally damaged at the Karower Kreuz in Berlin and in Herne in North Rhine-Westphalia. The backup system also failed.
Sabotage at Deutsche Bahn: A crime scene in Berlin – another crime scene in NRW
Update from October 8th, 3:20 p.m .: According to the federal police, the disturbance on the train on Saturday morning is due to external influences. “We have a crime scene in Berlin-Höhenschönhausen,” said a spokesman for the Berlin Federal Police Directorate of the dpa. “Another is in North Rhine-Westphalia.”
The ongoing investigations are being conducted in all directions. “Currently, a targeted external influence on the cable of the Deutsche Bahn can be assumed,” said the spokesman. Further details could not be announced for investigative reasons.
After sabotage at Deutsche Bahn: Minister of Transport Wissing speaks of a “willful act”
Update from October 8th, 2:00 p.m .: The damaged cables, which were responsible for a disruption of several hours on the railway, were deliberately disconnected. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said this in a statement on Saturday afternoon. According to the minister, it was a targeted and willful act. The background to the crime is not known, Wissing said. He emphasized the good crisis management of the railways. So far nothing can be said about the perpetrators and the background.
Update from October 8, 1:36 p.m .: The suspicion of sabotage was confirmed by Deutsche Bahn. “Due to sabotage of cables, which are indispensable for train traffic, Deutsche Bahn had to stop train traffic in the north for almost three hours this morning,” said a spokeswoman for the dpa in Berlin on Saturday.
Railway disruption in northern Germany: sabotage possible – federal police initiate investigations
Update from October 8th, 1 p.m.: According to the mirror , the disruption to the railway network on Saturday morning is said to have been caused by external influences. Destroyed cable connections of the internal communication system of the train were found in two places, according to security circles. The Federal Police took up the investigation. As investigative officials told Der Spiegel , information about the railway network would have been needed for sabotage. It cannot currently be ruled out that this was an accident.
After a disruption in northern Germany – Bahn initiates investigations into the cause
Update from October 8, 11:29 a.m .: Deutsche Bahn is examining the causes of the failure of train traffic on Saturday morning. As the railway reported to the German Press Agency (dpa), the investigations are ongoing – the cause is still unknown.
The problem is due to a disruption in the digital train radio GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Rail), as a spokeswoman for the railway said. “It is used for communication between the control centers that control the train traffic and the trains and is therefore an indispensable component for smooth train traffic.”
Even if rail operations start up again, further impairments are to be expected. At 10.49 a.m., the ICE 509 to Munich via Berlin and Erfurt was the first to leave Hamburg Central Station, as the dpa reported. It was heavily overcrowded and left half an hour late.
Deutsche Bahn: After the disruption, rail traffic is running again
Update from October 8, 11:08 a.m .: The disruption that shut down train traffic in northern Germany has been eliminated. Rail traffic is starting again, as the railway announced on Twitter. At 10:00 a.m., the first local trains were able to depart from Hamburg Central Station. According to Bahn, passengers must expect delays and stops and train cancellations until 11:00 a.m.
First report from October 8: On Saturday morning, the railways announced that train services in northern Germany would be discontinued. The cause is a technical defect. The disruption affects the route throughout northern Germany. Long-distance trains such as ICE, IC and EC trains are also affected. There may be short-term train and stop cancellations. Travelers should check their travel arrangements before embarking on the journey. It is still unclear how long the disruption will last and how long train traffic will remain restricted.
Deutsche Bahn: Due to a technical defect – rail traffic in northern Germany stopped
In addition to long-distance traffic, the regional traffic of Deutsche Bahn in northern Germany is currently at least partially interrupted. Due to “a technical fault on the route” in the “Northern Germany area” no train service is currently possible in local Deutsche Bahn services, the company announced on its website.
In addition to northern Germany, Berlin, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia are also affected by the standstill. “There are currently no long-distance travel options from/to Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony in/from Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Berlin and NRW,” said the railway on its website. “The ICE traffic between Berlin, Hanover and NRW has also been discontinued.”
Specifically, all regional express and regional train connections in the Lower Saxony and Bremen area are affected. There was no further information about the disruption for the time being. Deutsche Bahn recommended that its travelers inform themselves shortly before their planned journey via www.bahn.de/reiseauskunft, via the “DB Navigator” app or by calling 030/2970. The Bahn website said: “As soon as we have new information, we will keep you updated here.” (vk / dpa)