Was it an anonymous nod to the unexpected delegation that brought much of France’s rail traffic to a standstill a few hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, or was it a happy coincidence? In any case, a few days later, on the night of Sunday to Monday July 29, a double sabotage attack paralyzed part of Germany’s high-speed rail network.

The first fire occurred at around 4 a.m. in Bremen’s Bürgerpark district, igniting a shaft of cables along the track. The second fire, which occurred the same night, involved cables of a railroad near Hamburg, 150 kilometers away. Conclusion for the two major industrial and commercial cities in northern Germany? ICE high-speed trains between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg were unable to reach Bremen’s main station, while long-distance trains from the southwest to Hamburg were also diverted. The same was true of the regional rail operator metronom, whose trains experienced long delays and partial cancellations throughout the day.

The damage was only repaired at around 7pm on Monday evening, with partial delays still being experienced. And since it seems imperative on both sides of the Rhine that nothing should disrupt the routine of an Olympic summer, State Security (Staatsschutz) has been put in charge of the investigation, to focus on any “political motives” behind the double sabotage.

[German press summary (Norddeutscher Rundfunk), July 31, 2024]

via: sansnom Translated by Act for freedom now!