Gelsenkirchen railway cables damaged causing major transport disruption

Railway transport in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region suffered widespread disruption following the intentional damage of railway cables near Gelsenkirchen. The incident, which occurred around 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday, involved perpetrators cutting and pulling out cables at multiple locations along the track, disabling signaling and control systems.

Deutsche Bahn reported that the resulting collapse in transport affected thousands of passengers, causing significant delays, cancellations, and diversions for long-distance trains. Key affected routes include connections between Dortmund and Munich, Hamburg and Basel, and services traveling from northern Germany to Cologne. The area around Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf was completely closed to rail traffic, and local police are investigating the incident as a potential case of targeted theft or sabotage.