Train Disruption: First Deutsche Bahn Trains Running Again
Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Deutsche Bahn has resumed train services after a nationwide disruption caused by a technical fault.
- The cause of the outage, identified as a fault in the digital railway radio system (GSM-R), has been found.
- Passengers should expect significant delays and cancellations until at least Wednesday morning.
Deutsche Bahn has begun restoring train services across Germany following a widespread outage that halted operations late Tuesday evening. The railway company confirmed that the cause of the disruption has been identified and fixed, allowing the first trains to depart.
According to a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson, the issue stemmed from a malfunction in the digital railway radio system, known as GSM-R. This system is crucial for communication and control within the rail network. The outage affected not only long-distance and regional trains operated by DB Regio Mitte but also private railways and freight transport, particularly those operating overnight.
While services are gradually resuming, passengers are advised that significant disruptions will persist. Deutsche Bahn anticipates high follow-on delays and short-notice cancellations will continue through at least Wednesday morning. The company has not yet provided further details regarding the specific nature of the GSM-R fault.
The disruption began late Tuesday evening, leading to extensive waits for passengers. The railway company reported that the first trains were back on the move after hours of waiting, with reporters confirming service restoration from onboard trains. The full extent of the impact and the timeline for complete normalization of services remain to be seen.
Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.