Overview
- Severe morning storm activity, including a reported lightning strike, triggered a Stellwerksstörung — a failure in the signal box that controls signals and switches — between Hamburg and Bremen and disrupted traffic on Hamburg–Hannover and Hamburg–Bremen lines.
- Operators Deutsche Bahn and Metronom said lightning and other weather effects caused faults in signals and points and that technicians are working intensively to repair the equipment with work planned to finish in the morning.
- The fault forced widespread cancellations and slow-running rules; almost all ICE long-distance services on the Hamburg–Hannover and Hamburg–Bremen corridors were halted this morning, and many regional trains were canceled or delayed.
- Some long-distance trains were diverted between Hamburg and Hannover and are running about 90 minutes late because reroutes and ordered slow speeds create cascading delays across connected routes such as Hamburg–Hannover–Kassel–Frankfurt–Karlsruhe–Switzerland.
- Passengers should expect ongoing disruptions while repairs continue and check Deutsche Bahn or Metronom updates for replacement services, cancellations, and revised timetables as the situation develops.