Cable theft paralyzes rail traffic in Gelsenkirchen

Severed cables on the tracks near Gelsenkirchen have caused massive disruptions to local and long-distance traffic in the Ruhr area. Train traffic at the main station had been at a standstill since the night. After the repair work was completed at midday, the first trains started rolling again on the route in the greater Gelsenkirchen area. However, disruptions are to be expected into the afternoon, said a spokeswoman.

A railway spokeswoman said there had been several signal disruptions near Gelsenkirchen since Saturday morning at 4:15 a.m. after unknown people cut various cables. As a result, all train traffic around Gelsenkirchen came to a standstill.

A total of 300 local and long-distance trains were affected by the disruption by midday. Regional trains around Gelsenkirchen were canceled, were rerouted over a large area or ended earlier. Long-distance traffic was rerouted on a large scale.

Police: Cable cut and torn out

According to a police statement, investigators from state and federal police were at the crime scene in the early hours of the morning and secured evidence. “We are investigating in all directions,” said a police spokesman. According to current findings, there is no concrete evidence of sabotage. Rather, it is currently assumed that cables have been stolen along the railway line in the Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf district, said a spokesman for the Gelsenkirchen police.

The unknown suspects cut and tore out the cables on the tracks in several places. The perpetrators acted very roughly, said the spokesman. Some cables were also stolen, the police said in a statement. As a result, signaling systems and control cables failed.