Cologne‑Düsseldorf rail line reopens after suspected sabotage

A fire on the Cologne‑Düsseldorf railway line on Friday damaged multiple signal cables, forcing the route to be closed for emergency repairs. The line was cleared and train services resumed on Saturday evening after crews repaired the cables.

Police and state security officials treat the incident as a deliberate sabotage act. An online claim on the Indymedia platform attributes the attack to the left‑wing extremist group “Kommando Angry Birds”, which says the arson was intended to stop what it calls “technological escalation” and the resulting mass death. German interior minister Herbert Reul denounced the act as “targeted sabotage” and warned that the perpetrators were causing “collateral damage” to the public.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for a July 2025 arson on a major rail corridor between Düsseldorf and Duisburg and for a failed January attack on an electricity substation. Authorities continue to investigate the incident, seeking witnesses and verifying the authenticity of the claim.