Storm “Zeynep” slows down rail traffic. Many trains are canceled on many long-distance routes in the northern half of Germany in particular. It also continues to falter in NRW.
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After the hurricane “Zeynep” swept over Germany, long-distance rail passengers, especially in the north and east of Germany, must continue to expect considerable restrictions. “There are no long-distance trains north of Dortmund, Hanover and Berlin until at least 6 p.m.,” said the railway on Saturday. In North Rhine-Westphalia there is no long-distance traffic until at least 1 p.m., with the exception of individual trains on the high-speed route between Cologne and Frankfurt.
2000 emergency services are working on the tracks
Likewise, no long-distance trains between Leipzig/Halle (Saale) and Berlin are to be expected until at least 1 p.m. The ICE trains on the Cologne – Hanover – Berlin route will also be canceled until then. It is not yet foreseeable when ICE/IC trains from Frankfurt (Main) or Berlin to Amsterdam will be in service again.
“Around 2,000 Deutsche Bahn emergency services are tirelessly working around the clock to cut trees off the affected routes, repair overhead lines or repair damaged catenary masts,” said a railway spokesman on Saturday in Berlin. “In the affected regions, helicopters have been scouting the routes since the early hours of the morning and determining whether safe rail operations are possible again.”
There is still no precise overview of the damage pattern. “But it is already clear that the storm period of the past few days has severely affected and damaged more than 1,000 kilometers of rail in Germany.” The railway is doing everything it can to gradually resume train traffic as quickly as possible, said the spokesman.
However, many routes in the north would not be passable again during the day. “We therefore advise all passengers against train journeys to the affected regions and ask them to postpone the journey if possible.” Long-distance tickets are valid flexibly. “Anyone who wanted to travel today or tomorrow can do so throughout the week up to and including next Sunday.” Deutsche Bahn definitely recommends travelers outside of the regions affected by the storm to find out about the current train connections.
dpa
urn:newsml:dpa.com:20090101:220219-99-202533/8
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