The incident in Toma near Sandersdorf is a wake-up call – not only for rail safety, but also for our constitutional state. It is unacceptable that interference with our critical infrastructure is dismissed as a ‘youthful prank’ when it can cost lives in an emergency and paralyse our economy. A concrete block may seem harmless at first glance, but here we have 28 delayed trains adding up to over 1,000 minutes of delays and a significant risk for thousands of travellers.

Higher penalties as a clear message:

Those who intentionally or negligently sabotage our rail infrastructure must expect consistently high penalties. It is not enough to fob off perpetrators with milder measures when their actions have the potential to enable terrorist-motivated actions or even serve as a preliminary to coordinated attacks. The current sentences signal weakness – it is high time to tighten the legal framework and thus send a clear signal to potential perpetrators.

More prevention through better rail infrastructure protection:

It’s not just about punishment, but also about prevention. Our rail infrastructure is the backbone of mobility and the economy – it deserves the best possible protection. Investment in modern monitoring technologies, physical barriers and intelligent security systems must be prioritised. This is the only way to prevent individual ‘gimmicks’ escalating into life-threatening acts of sabotage that severely disrupt rail traffic.

Conclusion:

Politicians are called upon to take decisive action: stricter laws and higher penalties must go hand in hand with a significantly expanded prevention concept. Only with a two-pronged approach of tough sanctions and innovative security measures can we contain the terrorist threat and ensure the long-term protection of our rail infrastructure. The time for tolerating interference with rail traffic is over – decisive action must be taken now before the current situation becomes an unavoidable risk to the public.

DCM