Trains disrupted at Cologne Hbf after kids lay concrete slab on track

Train services were disrupted in Cologne on October 19 and 20. Police have announced that disruptions were caused by two kids laying a concrete slab on the track.

Significant disruption at Cologne Hbf on Sunday and Monday

On Sunday, two kids removed a concrete slab from the track cable channel and placed it on the train tracks connecting Cologne-Mülheim and Leverkusen-Manfort. At 2pm, an ICE train collided with the concrete slab.

There were no injuries, but the train was damaged. The collision meant the track had to be closed for around one hour, which caused significant delays and disruptions across the local network. Disruption continued into Monday afternoon, and minor delays on regional and local public transport continued into Monday evening.

Kids admitted to laying concrete slab on train track

The two children, aged 13 and 17 years old, admitted to having placed the concrete slab on the tracks and said they did so out of curiosity. According to a report by local newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the children told police that they immediately regretted their action.

Police warned that such reckless actions can have serious consequences: “Trains approach at high speed and are often silent, meaning a quick reaction isn’t possible.”

Cologne Hauptbahnhof is one of Germany’s largest rail hubs. According to Deutsche Bahn, when service capacity is at 100 percent there are around 1.300 train movements at the station every day.