Angry Birds claim responsibility for rail sabotage near Leverkusen

According to the railway, on Friday morning the embankment between Langenfeld and Leverkusen had burned in two places. The fire caused damage to several signal cables, so that no trains could run on this section of the line. On Saturday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn said that no forecast could currently be given as to when the line could be traveled on again. The railway described "die aktuelle betriebliche Lage in NRW" as "sehr angespannt".

Extent of the damage and closure

The claim of responsibility states that incendiary devices were placed in a large cable shaft at the northeastern corner of the Wupper Bridge and in a narrower shaft. The railway spoke of "immensen Schäden". "Expertinnen und Experten der DB arbeiten mit voller Kraft an der Reparatur der immensen Schäden", it said in a statement. That a technical defect could have triggered the embankment fire on the railway line is considered unlikely.

As a motive for the attack, a "Massensterben" caused by "technologische Eskalation" was cited, which must be stopped. The group portrays itself in the publication on Indymedia as an opponent of industry and an anti-tech movement that seeks "die vollständige Zerschlagung des technologisch-industriellen Systems" for the protection of nature. "Diese Bewegung wird verhindern, dass der Planet geschreddert wird", the text states. In the claim of responsibility, it equated "Industrie" with a "Tumor" that must be "neutralisiert".

Impact on rail traffic

The closure of the line has far-reaching consequences for local and long-distance transport. Due to the closure, there would be diversions and delays and the cancellation of individual trains, the railway announced. It is still unclear when trains will run regularly again. The situation is exacerbated by bridge damage in Opladen near Leverkusen, which was only discovered on Friday. The damaged bridge is located on the Hagen – Wuppertal – Cologne corridor, which had only just been put back into operation after a general renovation.

The group "Kommando Angry Birds" has been known to security authorities for years. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the group has claimed responsibility for attacks on critical infrastructure on relevant internet platforms several times in recent years. Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) had warned of the "Kommando Angry Birds" a year ago. "Die hat in den letzten Jahren im Raum Düsseldorf schon mehrfach sabotiert", Reul had said at the beginning of August 2025. The investigations were being conducted with great effort, but were not entirely easy because it was not a firmly established group.

Background of the group

In July 2025, the group had already claimed an attack on the main railway line between Düsseldorf and Duisburg. There, too, incendiary devices had been detonated, and the important railway line was closed for days. In January 2025, the group last boasted of an arson attack on "Düsseldorfs wichtigstes Gleis für den Güterverkehr". At the beginning of January of this year, the group also claimed responsibility for an attempted attack on a transformer station in Erkrath near Düsseldorf; the attack failed.

In addition, the group is attributed with attacks on telecommunications masts in Langenfeld/Erkrath and a tunnel fire on the A46 motorway. A pattern is thus emerging: the group deliberately attacks infrastructure that is important for supply and mobility in the region. The acts follow an ideological justification that is directed against modern industrial society.

Investigations and security situation

The state security department of the Cologne police had already taken over the investigations on Friday. The police are now checking whether the letter published on indymedia.org actually originates from the group. According to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, security circles assume that the letter is genuine. However, an official confirmation of its authenticity is still pending.

The incidents raise questions about the security of critical infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia. Deutsche Bahn announced that it was working with full force on the repairs. When the closed section between Düsseldorf and Cologne can be reopened remained unclear on Saturday. Travelers must continue to expect significant restrictions in regional and long-distance transport.

According to security circles, the Federal Prosecutor General was not involved; the investigations remain with the state security department of the Cologne police. Observers point out that the group is regarded in left-wing extremist circles as part of a broader spectrum that is directed against "technologische Eskalation" and industrial modernization. The claims of responsibility on Indymedia follow a recurring pattern of self-staging and ideological justification.

Questions about the security of critical infrastructure

The impact on rail traffic is significant. On the Düsseldorf–Cologne line, one of the most important connections in the German rail network, trains have been canceled since Friday. Commuters have to switch to alternative routes, which further exacerbates the already tense situation in local transport. Deutsche Bahn set up diversions but warned of ongoing delays.

The bridge in Opladen, which was additionally damaged, is located on a line that had only just been reopened after a months-long general renovation. The renewed failure thus affects the region at a particularly sensitive point. The railway stated that it was taking the situation very seriously and was coordinating closely with the security authorities.

Overall, the incident shows that left-wing extremist attacks on critical infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia are not isolated incidents. The group "Kommando Angry Birds" has struck several times in recent years without any arrests having been made so far. The investigators are facing the challenge of clarifying what appears to be a loosely organized structure that publicly claims its actions but offers no recognizable points of attack for classic police investigations.