Germany: Left-wing group says it is behind railway sabotage

The “Angry Birds Commando” group said they placed incendiary devices on a railroad between the two busy cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. The group blamed industrial technology for the destruction of the environment.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Gvhu

The train departure board at Düsseldorf's main station shows a cancellation due to vandalism on July 11, 2026
German trains are facing yet another disruption due to a deliberate act Image: Christoph Reichwein/dpa/picture alliance

A left-wing activist activist group on Saturday claimed responsiblity for sabotaging a railway line in western Germany

What do we know so far?

The “Angry Birds Commando” group, in a letter posted on German left-wing website indymedia.org, said it placed incendiary devices on the railway line between Cologne and Düsseldorf.

A fire was ignited in two places between the German city of Leverkusen and the town of Langenfeld on Friday morning, stopping train operations and causing disruption. Firefighters extinguished the flames but the damage on the track remained. 

A photo of the empty train tracks in Leverkusen after sabotage caused by a left-wing group
The act of vandalism disrupted the train line between two of Germany’s busiest citiesImage: Sascha Thelen/dpa/picture alliance

In the online letter claiming responsibility, the “Angry Birds Commando” group blamed industrial technology for the destruction of the environment: “This movement will prevent the planet from being shredded.”    

Unclear when normal train operations will resume

Repair work on the train line is expected to continue through Saturday afternoon. The act of vandalism has caused cancellations and delays and it’s unclear when normal operations will resume.   

German news agency DPA cited security sources who suspect the letter is genuine.

Cologne police say an investigation has been launched and have put out a call for witnesses.   

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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