Oct 8, 2022 19:47
The authorities in Germany attributed the disruption of train traffic in the north of the country, today, Saturday, to a “deliberate and evil” act of sabotage, without specifying who was responsible.
Attackers deliberately cut vital cables to the railway network in two locations, causing a complete stoppage of train traffic for regarding three hours.
Interior Minister Nancy Wieser said the Federal Police was investigating the incident, adding that the motive was not yet clear.
The disruption immediately sounded alarm bells following NATO and the European Union stressed last month the need to protect critical infrastructure following the Nord Stream gas pipeline was exposed to what they described as acts of “sabotage”.
“It is clear that this was a deliberate and evil act,” German Transport Minister Volker Wessing told a news conference.
A security source explained that there are several possible causes for the accident, ranging from a simple, frequent cable theft at the present time to a deliberate attack.
Omid Nouripur, leader of the Green Party, part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling federal coalition, said those who attacked the country’s vital infrastructure would face a “decisive response”.
“We will not be afraid,” he wrote on Twitter.
Chaos before election day
“Due to the sabotage of the cables connected to the railway line, Deutsche Bahn has suspended transport on the railway line in the north this morning for approximately three hours,” German railway company Deutsche Bahn said in a statement.
Earlier, the company said that the reason for the downtime was a problem with radio communications.
The disruptions have affected train services in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and the cities of Bremen and Hamburg, which have a direct impact on international train connections to Denmark and the Netherlands.
The incident came a day before the elections in Lower Saxony, where opinion polls indicate that German Chancellor Schulz’s Social Democrats are on the path to retaining power while the number of votes in favor of the Green Party is expected to double.
Queues quickly lined up at major stations including Berlin and Hanover, and departure boards showed many flights postponed or canceled.
Source: Archyde.com