- Jul 18
Italo orders 26 Siemens Velaro trains in €3bn deal to launch German high-speed rail service by mid-2028
Italian rail operator Italo Holding has signed a €3 billion contract with Siemens Mobility for 26 high-speed Velaro trains, with an option for 14 more, as it prepares to challenge Deutsche Bahn on Germany’s main long-distance corridors from mid-2028. The total investment package reaches €3.6 billion, including 2,500 new jobs.
- Jul 4
NRW's new police commissioner seeks retired officers to staff oversight office before October launch
Ursula Mecklenbrauck, the incoming police commissioner of North Rhine-Westphalia, is advertising for two part-time retired officers to handle citizen complaints and legal monitoring, citing quick availability and no strain on active forces.
- Jun 27
Nursing home residents evacuated in North Rhine-Westphalia as indoor temperatures reach 35°C during Germany heatwave
Firefighters rescue elderly residents in Dormagen and Krefeld after indoor temperatures reach 35°C and 50°C respectively, with the German Weather Service warning of up to 41°C on Saturday.
- Jun 24
Germany breaks heat record for second day with 41.5°C, triggering transport chaos and evacuations
Germany recorded 41.5°C on Saturday in Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, surpassing Friday's 41.3°C and prompting rail shutdowns, motorway closures and the evacuation of care homes as extreme heat pushed eastward.
- Jun 21
Krefeld police shoot dead 41-year-old man who attacked officers with a knife during family dispute
A 41-year-old man was shot dead by police in Krefeld, Germany, after he attacked two officers with a knife when they responded to a family dispute on Saturday evening.
