Repeat sabotage suspected after German railway cables cut

German security services are investigating after unknown attackers cut cables belonging to the public railway in what is seen as the second act of sabotage against Deutsche Bahn in as many months.

The line, which only carried goods trains, had to be closed for a few hours after the attack in the western city of Essen on Sunday, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said, confirming a report in Der Spiegel.

The spokesperson said that the impact had been very limited, with the line, which carries little goods traffic on Sundays, fully repaired by the evening.

In October, fibre optic cables were cut in two places, in what authorities said was an act of sabotage. It led to a three-hour halt to all rail traffic in northern Germany.

Police later said they had not excluded the possibility of a political motive but that there was no sign of foreign state involvement.