Repairs have been completed on the railway line between Duisburg and Düsseldorf, restoring regular train service. According to Deutsche Bahn (DB), approximately 30 specialists worked through the night to replace five damaged cables, each measuring 20 meters in length. Following successful test runs, train operations resumed as scheduled early Saturday morning, although isolated delays remain possible.
The necessary repairs stemmed from an act of vandalism targeting DB infrastructure. Damage was discovered at two separate locations, causing substantial disruptions to both long-distance and regional rail traffic. Hundreds of trains were affected and many passengers experienced detours or had to terminate their journeys prematurely. Commuters and holiday travelers, including those en route to Düsseldorf Airport, were particularly impacted.
The initial damage was identified Thursday morning and during the overnight repair work on Friday, further damage was uncovered. Investigations are also underway regarding a separate cable fire near Webau in Saxony-Anhalt, impacting a freight line used for coal transport. Authorities are also investigating this incident as a suspected case of arson.