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Berlin train services disrupted, vandalism suspected

August 2, 2024

Rail service between the German capital's main railway station and the western district of Spandau has been severely disrupted. Authorities believe the fire was deliberatly started.

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Sign at a Berlin station blaming delays and cancellations on vandalism
One of the hardest hit train lines was the so-called Ringbahn, which runs on a circular route around central Berlin Image: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/picture alliance

Train services in the German capital, Berlin, will be disrupted for days due to a cable fire that authorities believe was deliberately set.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said a fire broke out at a cable shaft in Berlin's Charlottenburg district overnight, damaging several signals and switches.

Trains between Berlin's main railway station and the western district of Spandau have been delayed, diverted, and canceled. This has had a knock-on effect on other public transportation lines around the capital.

Hundreds of trains, including long-distance, regional, commuter and freight rail services, have been impacted.

"The repair work will continue over the weekend. Train services are expected to be restricted until the beginning of next week," Deutsche Bahn said.

Rail networks targeted 

Deutsche Bahn said a technical fault did not cause the fire, and its S-Bahn service said in a separate statement it was caused by "vandalism."

The Berlin Criminal Investigation Department has taken charge of the case.

The incident follows an arson attack that caused damage to the train line between Hamburg and Bremen on Monday.

Police said perpetrators deliberately set fire to a cable shaft on the railway embankment near Bremen's Bürgerpark, disrupting high-speed trains between the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg.

Last week, arson attacks on the French high-speed network severely disrupted rail traffic shortly before the start of the Olympic Games.

An activist linked to a far-left movement was arrested in connection with the French incidents. 

lo/msh (AFP, dpa)