Germany's national railway operator „Deutsche Bahn“ (Deutsche Bahn) announced, quoted by DPA and DW, that it is gradually starting to resume transport after computer specialists fixed a massive failure in the communications system that stopped trains across the country.
Despite the rapid response of IT experts, the company warns that serious delays and canceled trains are expected throughout the day.
What caused the chaos?
The problem occurred late on Tuesday evening (June 23), affecting the global digital radio system for mobile communications on railways - GSM-R. Since it is the main tool for communication between drivers and dispatch centers, „Deutsche Bahn“ has decided to immediately stop all trains for safety reasons.
The head of the passenger division, Evelyn Pala, explained to the media that during the blockade, the trains were directed to the nearest possible stations so that passengers could get off safely.
Which lines are affected?
The blockade affected both international and intercity high-speed trains (ICE) and regional services.
City networks:
The city railway „S-Bahn“ (S-Bahn) in the capital Berlin and other large metropolitan regions was completely paralyzed.
Private operators: The technical collapse also affected private railway companies (such as Metronom in northern Germany) that use the state-owned infrastructure.
The company officially apologized to passengers for the inconvenience caused. People stranded at stations are being provided with taxi and hotel vouchers, as well as alternative bus transport where logistically possible.
At the moment, “Deutsche Bahn“ assures that the system is now operating normally, but urges all citizens to check the current schedule of their trips in the mobile application or the railway website before heading to the stations.