German police catch two suspects stealing railroad cables

DPA
·1 min read
A police officer walks across a platform while in the background a double-decker Deutsche Bahn (DB) regional train pulls into the station. Jonas Walzberg/dpa
A police officer walks across a platform while in the background a double-decker Deutsche Bahn (DB) regional train pulls into the station. Jonas Walzberg/dpa

German police caught and arrested two suspects as they were stealing railroad cables at the central train station in the western German city of Bochum overnight, authorities said on Friday

The attempted theft shut down rail traffic overnight in the Ruhr region that includes Bochum, one of the most densely populated areas in Europe.

The two men, aged 53 and 50, made extensive statements during interrogation, a federal police spokeswoman said on Friday. Police believe the thieves were after the metal in the cables, and there is no evidence of a deliberate attempt to sabotage rail operations.

A third perpetrator is still being sought. The suspects had cut about 25 metres of cable near the station overnight. That caused a failure message at the railroad, and police quickly arrived.

Train service normalized somewhat during rush hour on Friday morning, although German national rail service Deutsche Bahn anticipated that no trains would be able to run at Bochum Central Station until midday on Friday.

Long-distance trains were widely rerouted. There were also cancellations and detours on regional services and suburban trains.