Bahnchaos on Sylt: signal box failure paralyzes train traffic between Westerland and Keitum!

Bahnchaos on Sylt: signal box failure paralyzes train traffic between Westerland and Keitum!

Westerland, Deutschland - on Sylt, rail traffic is currently still. There are no trains between Westerland and Keitum, and Deutsche Bahn has initially discontinued the connections due to a unusual signal box. This disorder occurred on Saturday and caused considerable restrictions on train traffic. In both directions, the trains remained on the important connection between the two locations. When the company can be resumed is currently unclear what is an unpleasant situation for many travelers. The route of the RE6 in the district of North Friesland must also be changed, as ndr reports.

But that's not the only bad news for train tourists and commuters. A second fault affects the route between Bredstedt and Husum, where damage to a bridge leads to delays and other failures. These problems are expected to continue until 6 p.m. To relieve the passengers, replacement traffic by bus is prepared. Passengers are advised to inform themselves in good time about their travel connections, to prevent bad surprises, such as Stern reported.

The challenges in rail traffic

But these problems are not an isolated case. In recent years, rail traffic has been a dramatic increase in failures. According to Tagesschau , the number of unusual long-distance trains has quadrupled within five years. What is often annoying for travelers is attributed to the ramshackle infrastructure and inadequate maintenance.

Last year, the proportion of unusual trips in regional traffic was five percent, which is also related to the insufficient provision of vehicles. It is particularly striking that over 60 percent of failures are caused by external reasons, such as strikes. Almost half of the train cancellations in January 2024 were due to strike, which made the situation more difficult for travelers.

The debate about security and investments in the infrastructure will not stop as long as such disorders such as the current on Sylt and in North Friesland exist. The hope remains that quick action and reforms can increase punctuality and reliability so that travelers can soon travel carefree again.