Railway disruptions hit St. Pölten and Cologne

Major railway disruptions have affected commuters in Austria and Germany due to technical failures and police activity.

In Austria, a signal box failure at St. Pölten main station has paralyzed train traffic. ÖBB reported that the malfunction, which occurred around 8:30 AM, has forced long-distance trains to be diverted and necessitated replacement bus services for local lines between areas such as Pöchlarn, Tullnerfeld, and Viehhofen.

In Germany, Deutsche Bahn reported significant delays and cancellations in the Cologne area. A police operation on Wednesday morning led to a temporary closure of the track section between Köln-Hansaring and Köln Messe/Deutz, affecting several S-Bahn lines (S6, S11, S12, S19) and the RB25 regional line. These disruptions follow existing heavy loads on the rail network in North Rhine-Westphalia, including a full closure of the line between Cologne and Düsseldorf.