Deutsche Bahn halted all trains across Germany late Tuesday due to a problem with the GSM-R digital communication system. The system is used for internal communication on the railway network.

Deutsche Bahn stated that all trains were being held at stations. A spokesperson for the railway operator said technicians are working "flat out to resolve the issue".

Trains on at least part of the network began moving again approximately two hours after the initial outage was reported. Deutsche Bahn announced at midnight that the cause of the problem had been identified. The railway operator did not specify the cause of the communication system problem.

Deutsche Bahn issued an apology to passengers for the situation. "DB apologizes to passengers for the situation," the railway operator said. It also stated that it would provide taxi and hotel vouchers to passengers and would make available trains at stations for travelers to sit in where possible.

The Berlin commuter network reported that trains were running, but delays and cancellations should still be expected. DB Regio Mitte, a regional rail operator, also announced resumed service but cautioned that delays and cancellations were anticipated until at least 6 a.m. Wednesday. The German railway system has halted all or most trains on rare occasions in the past due to storms.

GSM-R stands for Global System for Mobile Communications–Railway. This standard offers voice and data services necessary for railway operations, including communication between train drivers and control centers. The European Union Agency for Railways stated that GSM-R has been introduced across Europe since 2000 as a common standard for railway operations. Deutsche Bahn is government-owned.