Due to an overhead line fault, the railway line between Hanover and North Rhine-Westphalia is currently not passable. A spokesman said the full closure would lead to delays and cancellations in Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance transport.
Connections from Berlin to Cologne and Amsterdam are also affected. According to Deutsche Bahn, the IC and ICE trains between Hamm – Bielefeld – Hanover will be rerouted and will be delayed by around 60 minutes. The IC trains Amsterdam – Berlin are canceled between Bad Bentheim and Berlin. The ICE Sprinter (without stopping between Cologne and Berlin) is completely canceled.
The cause of the problems lies in Wunstorf near Hanover. The overhead line fell down there during the night, said a federal police spokesman. Shortly afterwards, a wagon on a freight train caught fire and resulted in a large-scale operation involving 180 firefighters. Residents were also brought to safety. According to the spokesman, it is not yet clear how long the disruption is expected to last. However, commuters and travelers would have to be patient.