Police discovered a stalled main line, suspecting deliberate tampering or sabotage.
Railway Sabotage Disrupts Düsseldorf-Duisburg Line
A deliberate fire set in a cable tunnel has caused significant disruption on one of Germany's busiest rail corridors, affecting local and regional trains between Duisburg and Düsseldorf.
The incident, which occurred in the Düsseldorf city area, has led to the suspension of several train services, including the S1 S-Bahn line and regional lines RE1, RE5, RE6, RE19, RE2, RE3, and RE11. This disruption has also impacted travel to Düsseldorf Airport, located between the two main stations.
The fire, quickly extinguished by the fire brigade, has caused damage to the cables, leading to operational delays and cancellations. Repair work is ongoing and is expected to continue until midday of the following Friday, impacting both local and long-distance train services.
An anonymous group calling themselves "Kommando Angry Birds" has claimed responsibility for the attack through a left-wing platform Indymedia. Their statement criticized the industrial system and declared the act as a deliberate disruption to the infrastructure. However, the authenticity of this claim is still under police verification, with a conclusive result not expected by the end of July 31, 2025.
The police are treating the incident as sabotage based on the investigation so far. State security is involved in the investigation, with forensic analysis of the scene where the suspects placed the incendiary device underway.
The entire area around Duisburg-Großenbaum in the south of the Ruhr area has been affected, making the area not passable. This sabotage has also affected ICE lines to Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, as well as connections to North Germany, South Germany, and the Netherlands.
No further updates on culpability or arrests have been mentioned in the latest sources. This information is based on news reports from July 31, 2025.
- The railway sabotage that disrupted the Düsseldorf-Duisburg line was allegedly carried out by an anonymous group called "Kommando Angry Birds."
- The industrial system was criticized in a statement by this group, who claimed responsibility for the attack through a left-wing platform called Indymedia.
- The police are treating the incident as sabotage and have started an investigation, involving state security and forensic analysis of the scene.
- The disruption of the railway services has also affected various public-transit routes, including travel to Düsseldorf Airport, local and long-distance train services, and connections to other cities in Germany and the Netherlands.
- While the authenticity of the group's claim is still under police verification, the sabotage has raised concerns about potential threats to other sectors, such as finance, automotive, and war-and-conflicts, as well as general-news and crime-and-justice issues.
