Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s state-owned railway operator, appears to be facing a growing sabotage problem.
According to a leaked internal report, the company recorded around 2,200 cases of sabotage targeting railway infrastructure during the first six months of 2026, a 7% increase compared with the same period last year.
The incidents include arson, vandalism, and theft that causes significant damage to railway infrastructure and disrupts train services, costing taxpayers increasing amounts to repair each year.
The latest incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, July 14, when an electrical distribution box connected to railway signalling and safety systems caught fire in Neu Wulmstorf, Lower Saxony. Around 200 train services were cancelled, passengers were transferred to replacement buses, and normal operations only gradually resumed later that evening.
Witnesses and emergency responders reported two separate fires: one at the distribution box, which damaged critical signalling cables, and another around 50 metres away at equipment controlling a level crossing.
Although no suspects have been identified, police said the evidence so far points to deliberate arson intended to disrupt the railway network. Investigators have appealed to local residents for information that could help identify those responsible.
Similar attacks are being reported across Germany, with perpetrators increasingly targeting critical infrastructure rather than carrying out opportunistic theft or acts of random vandalism.
Just last week, a major railway line between Cologne and Düsseldorf was badly disrupted after attackers placed incendiary devices in cable ducts and on the tracks, causing widespread delays throughout the weekend.
Shortly afterwards, a far-left eco-extremist group calling itself the “Angry Bird Commando” claimed responsibility in a letter published online. The group said it was targeting industrial technology because of its alleged role in environmental destruction, declaring: “This movement will prevent the planet from being shredded.”
Police believe the claim is genuine, saying the group has been linked to several similar attacks since last year.
