German police suspect sabotage after fire closes key Cologne-Düsseldorf rail line, left-wing group claims responsibility

The incident

A fire broke out Friday morning on the railway embankment between Langenfeld and Leverkusen, affecting two locations. The flames were extinguished by firefighters, but multiple signal cables were severely damaged, according to German rail operator Deutsche Bahn. The resulting disruption halted all train services on the busy corridor connecting Cologne and Düsseldorf, two of western Germany's largest cities.

Repair and reopening

The line remained closed throughout Friday and much of Saturday. Deutsche Bahn said specialist teams worked continuously from Friday to repair the extensive damage to the cables. The company announced that repair work was completed by early Saturday evening, at which point train services resumed without restrictions. The rail operator expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers during the closure.

Fachleute hätten seit Freitag durchgehend daran gearbeitet, die Schäden so schnell wie möglich zu beheben.

Sabotage investigation and claim of responsibility

Authorities quickly moved away from the possibility of a technical defect. Security circles told German press agency dpa that a technical malfunction was considered unlikely. The Cologne public prosecutor's office and police stated they are operating on the assumption that the fire was set deliberately. The state protection unit of the Cologne police took over the investigation on Friday.

On Saturday, a letter surfaced on the left-wing platform indymedia.org, in which a group calling itself "Kommando Angry Birds" claimed responsibility for the sabotage. The letter detailed the placement of incendiary devices in a large cable shaft at the northeastern corner of the Wupper bridge and in a narrower shaft nearby. According to the claim, timers and approximately one litre of barbecue lighter fluid were used.

This movement will prevent the planet from being shredded.

The group cited a "mass extinction" caused by "technological escalation" as the motive for the attack, arguing that the "technological-industrial system" must be dismantled to protect nature.

Official reaction

North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul sharply condemned the incident. He characterised the act as targeted sabotage, not protest, emphasising that it disrupted the daily lives of many people and that the perpetrators were willing to accept collateral damage. Reul also noted the recklessness of setting fires during a period of widespread drought.

These people don't want a better world. These people want chaos. They aim to replace politics with violence. We will not accept that.

Pattern of attacks

The incident is not the first attributed to the "Kommando Angry Birds" group. In July 2025, the group claimed responsibility for an arson attack on the main rail line between Düsseldorf and Duisburg, which blocked that important route for several days. In January 2025, the same group said it attempted an attack on a substation in Erkrath near Düsseldorf, though that attempt was unsuccessful. The group is also believed to be behind other fires in the Düsseldorf area, including attacks on telecommunications towers and a tunnel on the A46 motorway.

The security authorities assess the confession letter as genuine according to dpa reports.