After a violent storm, a signal box fails in Dortmund. Nothing works at the main station for almost 24 hours. In addition to day trippers, thousands of football fans are also affected. The damage has now been repaired.
Storm damage in a signal box paralyzed all train traffic in Dortmund Central Station on Saturday. Thousands of travelers had to reschedule or accept delays. The problem was only fixed in the evening. "Everything has been going according to plan since the start of operations on Sunday morning," said a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn.
According to the fire brigade, heavy rain flooded numerous streets in the Dortmund city area on Saturday night. There was water ingress in the signal box in the main train station, so it hasn't been working since around 3:30 a.m. Technicians worked all day long to eliminate the fault.
Long-distance trains were diverted. Regional trains also drove detours or ended at surrounding stations. Buses were used as substitute transport on some routes. In the main station, long queues formed in front of the information desks, and many travelers checked alternatives on their cell phones. "Train is canceled today," said the display boards behind each connection. And: "No train journeys possible until probably close of business".
Numerous football fans were also affected by the train chaos and had problems getting to the stadium. Borussia Dortmund received SV Werder Bremen there on Saturday afternoon. BVB encouraged the supporters of both clubs to continue to help each other via social media and, for example, to form carpools.
