Germany’s Railways Under Attack as Sabotage Cases Soar
16th July 2026
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.