Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem • Hacker News Board

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#171

Post by egorfine » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 9:18 AM UTC

blablabla123 wrote: post #167

eqvinox wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For context, in case people are less familiar with German politics: DB is in a misbegotten state of privatization, started in the 90ies. The government spun it out into a private company but still owns 100% of it. They were trying to pump it up so they could sell it for good money. They did that by skimping on everything including maintenance, to try and make the numbers look good. Except they never got to whatever m…

I was once on a job interview there, in the Train/Station Wifi branch, mostly web programming related though IIRC. It wasn't so much of a quiz format but the interviewers wanted to know what I worked on before, why I wanted to change etc. What really stuck with me was how the department CTO insisted how superior and privacy conforming their logging system is. Not saving anything, not even for a micro second. I didn't…

It's negative selection applied to you. And you have dodged a bullet here.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#172

Post by Kirth » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 9:22 AM UTC

Was left stranded in Berlin last night trying to get home to a neighboring city, which should have taken 45 minutes (more like 1h20 nowadays due to time tables and whole regional train lines being down for maintenance til EOY).

The lack of communication was probably the worst of all. Announcements saying to take alternative means of transport. The DB Navigator app insists that everything is still running and it was impossible to get clear info as to whether RE trains were also affected.

Eventually we took a Miles car home and because of this and past unreliability I'm, sadly, thinking about getting a car instead.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#173

Post by jasonvorhe » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 9:43 AM UTC

ed_balls wrote: post #17

mmoll wrote: post #4

If this weren’t Deutsche Bahn, I’d say it’s a cyber attack. Given that this is Deutsche Bahn, though, it may just as well be a maintenance issue.

Same thing happened in Poland and it was confirmed that Russians did it.

Was waiting for someone to bring this up. X is already full of similar nonsense. As if DB didn't have a track record of utterly broken infrastructure. For decades.

I guess by this logic we could also claim that "there Germans caused the power outage in Berlin last winter" because the perpetrators were likely German political activists.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#174

Post by jasonvorhe » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 9:44 AM UTC

bflesch wrote: post #43

mmoll wrote: post #4

If this weren’t Deutsche Bahn, I’d say it’s a cyber attack. Given that this is Deutsche Bahn, though, it may just as well be a maintenance issue.

[flagged]

You'd be wrong and you're spreading "dangerous misinformation".

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#175

Post by GJim » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 9:56 AM UTC

_def wrote: post #52

Same problem happened two years ago. You'd think that would be enough time to figure out a failsafe routine

I think you will find it *did* fail to safe.

(To suggest otherwise implies you do not understand what failsafe means!).

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#176

Post by zabzonk » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 10:01 AM UTC

shmeeed wrote: post #160

mmoll wrote: post #4

If this weren’t Deutsche Bahn, I’d say it’s a cyber attack. Given that this is Deutsche Bahn, though, it may just as well be a maintenance issue.

Given the current heat wave, it might be a case of "trains not running because it's too hot"? As opposed to, you know, "trains not running because it's too cold", e.g. because of icing on the overhead lines.

Or the "wrong kind of snow": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_wrong_type_of_snow

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#177

Post by LargoLasskhyfv » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #125

It's the heat. Some system somewhere in need of cooling. Does not get it, because BAHN . Crapping out. Cascades of disbelief. R2D2-like cybernetic seizures. Endless commuter pleasures. No mischief at all. Just bad techno-thrall...

Unexpected summer.

A real bummer.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#178

Post by felooboolooomba » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 10:38 AM UTC

ablation wrote: post #166

felooboolooomba wrote: post #18

There was also a very peculiar train crash in the UK just a few days ago. A train hit a stationary train. That shouldn't really happen in this day and age. Sabotage was the first thing that came to my mind. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gy60gg6k5o

No, sabotage doesn't hold up. The thing that rules it out is the braking, or rather lack of it. Passengers reported no screeching and no sudden deceleration before impact, which means the driver thought the line ahead was clear. Tampered track or an obstruction or some kind of remote hack (getting into the realms of fantasy there) would normally give him something to react to. This entirely fits a missed signal or a…

> This entirely fits a missed signal or a signalling/protection failure

Perhaps a signalling/protection sabotage?

> No official has hinted at foul play either

That doesn't really mean much. Officials in the UK are incredibly reserved in hinting at something that they can't back up with evidence. Since they're still investigating, they keep their mouth shut. But yes, the sensible thing is to wait for the report.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#179

Post by jerven » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 10:52 AM UTC

penteract wrote: post #141

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Look at how much Switzerland spends per capita vs Germany. €477 vs €115 Your chart shows close to €200 spent by Deutschland per capita in 2024, before the abovementioned spending splurge (about €30/person/year). (The numbers 477 and 115 never appear in your source.) €230 in Berlin purchases about as much as €371 of CHF in Zürich [1]. So no, I’m not seeing evidence Germany needs to further 3x capital expenditure to…

The number €115 is in the second chart as the per capita German expenditure on rail infrastructure in 2023. I don't see €477, but it's pretty close to the €480 figure for Switzerland in 2024. My guess is they saw an old version of the page when the first chart had numbers for 2023 and have kept using it without noticing the update.

And the Swiss CFF also thinks it is under spending on maintenance. Track maintenance last year was nearly 20% from its target.

Re: Trains halted across Germany because of communication system problem

#180

Post by cuvert » Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 11:23 AM UTC

robocat wrote: post #145

ahartmetz wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The one good thing is that they failed to take it private. Imagine how bad it would be with the current maintenance backlog and no public funding.

The New Zealand government sold their rail system, then Toll didn't make a success of it, so the government bought it back at a massive loss. Now rail is just a nightmare moneypit. But older voters love rail "it's efficient" so the government panders to them and wastes more expenditure on it. Edit: Currently for every $1.50 tax income from road user taxes and petroleum taxes: $1 is spent on roads, and 50 cents is spe…

I don't know how many travelers use train instead of a car in New Zealand, but if it means 20% less traffic on the road, those taxes are probably worthy. That's what I say to all drivers which get nervous for sitting behind me when I bike to work. Think, that if I can't bike, there will be another car on the street.