Railway track fire close to Wuppertal.

In an unexpected turn of events, a fire at Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station on the Aachen-Kassel line has been treated as a suspected attack. The incident, which occurred recently, caused significant disruption to both long-distance and regional train traffic.

According to reports, the fire was apparently started with an accelerant, and presumedly deliberately, two cables for switch and signal control were cut during the fire. However, the fire department managed to extinguish the blaze effectively, preventing any impact on train traffic. A spokesperson confirmed this, stating that there were no reports of any such impact.

The police and the public prosecutor's office are currently investigating the suspected attack, with the state protection department taking the lead. Emergency services also searched the surrounding area for any suspicious spots but found nothing.

Interestingly, this is not the first instance of such an incident in North Rhine-Westphalia. Almost a month ago, two arson attacks were carried out on the Düsseldorf-Duisburg railway line. In this case, a heating system for switches, designed to prevent them from freezing in winter, was affected.

As of Saturday morning, Deutsche Bahn reported no new findings in the ongoing investigation at Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station. Regrettably, no leads on suspects have been found so far. The heating system at the station was not in operation at the time, ensuring no disruption to rail traffic.

The authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to railway infrastructure to the appropriate authorities. The safety and security of the public and the infrastructure are of utmost importance.