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An act of sabotage caused a major train disruption in northern Germany, rail operator Deutsche Bahn and German officials said Saturday.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance and regional service came to a halt for approximately three hours after communication cables were severed blocking data transmission between trains and railway operating centers.
“Sabotage to cables that were vital for train traffic meant Deutsche Bahn had to stop trains running in the north this morning for nearly three hours,” Deutsche Bahn said, according to German outlet Deutsche Welle.
The rail operator initially cited technical problems for the delay. The disruptions impacted services throughout northern Germany and in parts of Denmark and the Netherlands.
German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said the cables were “intentionally severed” in two places.
“It is clear that this was a targeted and malicious action,” he said during a news conference.
European officials have been on heightened alert about potential attacks on critical infrastructure rupture of the Nord Stream pipeline between Russia and Germany last month, which NATO officials have determined to be an act of sabotage.
