Disruption in the digital train radio system in Germany

A nationwide disruption of the digital train radio system GSM-R on Tuesday evening led to significant impairments in freight transport. The disruption occurred around 10 PM and caused a standstill of approximately two hours. By 12:30 AM, the first trains were able to resume operations. „The cause of yesterday’s disruption of the digital train radio GSM-R was, from the current perspective, the scheduled replacement of a technical component,“ stated DB InfraGO CEO Philipp Nagl in a communication from DB.

Consequences for logistics

According to Neele Wesseln, managing director of the Association of Private Freight Railways, the impact of the disruption is particularly severe for freight trains, as they primarily operate at night. “Since midnight, some trains have been rolling again. However, about half of our freight trains are still standing still across the country and at the borders,” Wesseln explained early the morning following the disruption. The simultaneous queue of freight, regional, and long-distance vehicles leads to a logistical bottleneck that can be compared to an overcrowded restaurant where a single waiter must handle all the accumulated tasks.

The association emphasizes that companies operate on tightly scheduled cycles: a freight train transports goods from one point to another and immediately picks up new cargo. When a train stops due to the disruption, this chain is interrupted.

www.die-gueterbahnen.com