The key railway line between Düsseldorf and Cologne was paralyzed on Friday by a suspected arson attack. Investigators suspect sabotage after a claim of responsibility from the group Kommando Angry Birds appeared. Train traffic has since resumed without restrictions.
On Friday morning, embankments between Langenfeld and Leverkusen caught fire at two locations. Firefighters extinguished the blazes, but several signal cables were damaged, forcing the line to close.
A suspected claim of responsibility from the left-wing extremist group Kommando Angry Birds appeared on Indymedia.org. The group admitted to the sabotage north of Leverkusen and said it had placed incendiary devices in cable shafts. It cited mass extinction through technological escalation as its motive.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul condemned the act as targeted sabotage. State security investigations continue. Deutsche Bahn completed repairs in the early evening.