11 months · 11 summary articles
The rail traffic at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof was suspended on Saturday after a blaze broke out on a nearby embankment, leaving passengers stranded and forcing Deutsche Bahn to halt all S-Bahn, regional and long-distance services. A Bundespolizei spokesman confirmed the shutdown, which began in the early hours and had not been lifted by midday, as emergency crews battled the flames and scorching temperatures that reached 41.3 °C in parts of Germany .
Deutsche Bahn later announced that services would resume once the embankment fire was extinguished and tracks had been inspected, but no precise timetable was given. The company had already urged travellers to avoid non-essential journeys because of the heatwave gripping central Europe, warning that rails could buckle and overhead lines sag in the extreme temperatures . In neighbouring Austria, the national rail operator ÖBB reported that services between Bludenz and Lochau-Hörbranz had been cancelled and trains delayed after tracks deformed in Vorarlberg, where a nationwide heat alert was in force .
Across Germany, regional operators in North Rhine-Westphalia said they would suspend services for six hours, while in Brandenburg authorities reduced speeds to 80 km/h on the hottest stretches, causing delays of up to 15 minutes on affected lines . In Slovakia, ŽSR imposed similar speed restrictions, warning that weekend travel could be slowed by as much as an hour on the hottest sections .
The Stuttgart suspension came as Europe’s transport networks struggled to cope with the heat. In London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports recorded delays of up to 11 hours after thunderstorms forced the cancellation of nearly 800 flights, while Rijkswaterstaat in the Netherlands said a nationwide technical fault had disabled remote control of motorway signs, bridges and locks, causing widespread traffic disruption .
Passengers at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof were advised to check Deutsche Bahn’s website and app for updates, with replacement buses promised on key routes once the line reopened. The company said it was working with the Bundespolizei and local fire services to clear the embankment and restore services as quickly as safety allowed.
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