Overview
- A fire in a fuse box tied to a signalling installation near Lehrte late Friday forced diversions and caused major delays on the Hannover–Berlin corridor, with some ICE/IC trains running up to 70 minutes late and others canceled.
- Deutsche Bahn said long‑distance and regional services were affected and set up replacement buses on some routes, while stressing there was no full line closure.
- Investigators removed the damaged unit for forensic examination after Deutsche Bahn labeled the damage as vandalism on its website, though police said the cause remains unconfirmed.
- A separate crash in Hannover‑Kleefeld sent a concrete bollard onto the tracks, damaging an overhead line and stranding an ICE with about 900 passengers, who were later evacuated on foot or by bus as several medical incidents were treated.
- Delays and reroutings are expected through Sunday, and the latest railway update indicated the disruption could continue into Monday as repairs and safety checks proceed.