Germany's rail network halts after critical GSM-R radio failure

Deutsche Bahn’s digital radio system, GSM-R, failed completely on the evening of 23 June 2026. The outage brought the entire rail network to a standstill for over two hours, disrupting travel across Germany. The system is essential for secure communication and daily operations. The failure began at around 10:30 PM and lasted until 12:50 AM. During this time, staff could not coordinate train movements, reroute services, or issue emergency stops. Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB InfraGO, later explained that a routine technical replacement had triggered the breakdown. He apologised for the widespread disruption caused to passengers.

GSM-R is a private 2G-based network used exclusively by authorised devices. It supports critical functions such as rerouting trains, diverting them to sidings, and managing hazardous situations. Without it, safe and efficient rail operations are impossible.

A successor system, FRMCS, is already under real-world testing in Germany. This 5G-based standard will eventually replace GSM-R, with support for the older system continuing until 2035. The transition is expected to be gradual. The outage highlighted the vital role of GSM-R in keeping trains running safely. FRMCS will take over in the long term, but for now, the network remains dependent on the existing technology. Deutsche Bahn has confirmed that GSM-R will remain operational until at least 2035.