Rail chaos in Berlin: Fire near Bernau causes massive disruption!

Rail chaos in Berlin: Fire near Bernau causes massive disruption!

A fire near the tracks caused significant disruption to long-distance traffic around Berlin today. The fire that broke out on Monday evening in the Barnim district, Brandenburg, caused massive cable damage and turned Deutsche Bahn's operations upside down. According to the Berlin newspaper Repair work to repair the damage is in full swing, but is expected to last until the evening hours.

The cause of the embankment fire is currently unclear. The fire also caused signal box malfunctions and damaged cables, which severely affected rail traffic. The Berlin Live reports diversions and canceled stops on several regional and long-distance lines. Trains on ICE lines 21 (Ostseebad Binz to Berlin), 15 (Berlin to Frankfurt am Main) and 28 (Ostseebad Binz to Munich) are particularly affected.

Affected connections and stops

The disruptions affect numerous rail connections, meaning commuters and travelers have to prepare for longer travel times. Among other things, there will be no more stops for trains on the Berlin – Eberswalde – Pasewalk – Greifswald – Ostseebad Binz route. A replacement stop in Neustrelitz was set up to accommodate travelers. According to the information from the Berlin newspaper Delays of up to 20 minutes cannot be ruled out.

In addition, the RB24 regional train is not operational between Berlin-Lichtenberg and Bernau, and the RE3 route between Bernau and Berlin Central Station also remains interrupted. Travelers are advised to consider the S-Bahn as an alternative connection, this will provide some relief for commuters.

Conclusion and outlook

How the situation will develop remains to be seen. The repair work is crucial for a return to normality in rail traffic. A return to normal train operations is not expected until Tuesday evening at the earliest. Deutsche Bahn has announced that it will inform the public about further progress.
In the meantime, travelers are well advised to keep an eye on their travel routes and regularly inform themselves about current developments.