German trains are running after communication outage stranded passengers nationwide

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's railway was running largely as normal Wednesday after a late-night communication system outage left trains and travelers stranded around the country, but the main rail operator faced criticism and questions over the chaos.

Trains were halted abruptly across Germany late Tuesday and service resumed gradually about two hours later, after midnight. Long lines formed at information desks as travelers tried to figure out how to reach their destination and where to spend the night.

The main railway operator said it was offering taxi and hotel vouchers and, where possible, putting trains in place for would-be travelers to sit in while they waited. But passengers complained of a lack of information.

The outage was the result of a problem with the GSM-R digital communication system used for internal communication on the railway network.

The main railway operator, federal government-owned Deutsche Bahn, said trains started running “largely seamlessly” on Wednesday morning, though there may be isolated service reductions.

There was no official word on what caused the system failure, though German media reported that a faulty software update was suspected rather than sabotage.

Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder told news agency dpa that if the cause was a problem with hardware components or a software update, Deutsche Bahn must set up a system so that it doesn't happen again.

The breakdown came after years of increasingly frequent complaints about train delays and service interruptions.

Deutsche Bahn is conducting thorough though disruptive overhauls of major routes after years of underinvestment in a bid to improve its performance, but any significant improvement is expected to take time.

The European Union's most populous country has a railway network totaling some 33,400 kilometers (20,750 miles) in length, with 5,400 train stations.

“That all rail traffic in Germany comes to a halt because of a technical defect is a new low in already poor operating quality,” Oliver Krischer, the regional transport minister in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany's most populous, told dpa.

He said there need to be “emergency mechanisms that prevent such a disaster in the future. People rely on reaching their destination at least somewhat punctually by rail.”

Passengers wait for a train at a platform in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, following the nationwide service disruption on the Deutsche Bahn network. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Passengers wait for a train at a platform in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, following the nationwide service disruption on the Deutsche Bahn network. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Passengers are on the move in the central train station in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, following the nationwide service disruption on the Deutsche Bahn network. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Passengers walk through Munich Central Station to catch their trains this morning following the nationwide Deutsche Bahn service disruption Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

A passenger walks past an ICE train at Munich Central Station in Munich, Germany Wednesday, June 24, 2026, following the nationwide service disruption on the Deutsche Bahn network. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

A commuter stretches out on a bench at Frankfurt's main station, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, after a communications system failure forced Germany's railway system to suspend train service. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)

Travelers are on the move at the main train station in Frankfurt, Germany early Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)

BIBICLAT, Philippines (AP) — Hundreds of Catholic devotees wrapped themselves in dried banana leaves and covered their bodies with mud on Wednesday in the Philippine village of Bibiclat, taking part in a display of faith honoring St. John the Baptist.

The Taong Putik, or Mud People, festival is held annually in this village in Asia’s largest Catholic nation as devotees thank the local patron saint for miracles and fulfill vows made in prayer.

Melencio Nenuda, a 39-year-old construction worker, said the mud-covered parishioners frightened him as a child and he used to hide when they passed by. But that changed when when he fell seriously ill in the sixth grade and his mother prayed to St. John the Baptist, vowing that he would join the tradition if he recovered.

“I will continue to go back to this tradition because it gives me a good future,” said Nenuda, adding that his wife and son also participate.

Devotees prepare for the observance before dawn.

Heading into nearby fields around 4 a.m., they search for soft mud and smear it over their bodies before wrapping themselves in dried banana leaves.

Once ready, they walk barefoot to St. John the Baptist Church carrying only cellphones and lighted candles. As they wait for Mass to begin, hymns are sung near a small fire formed by the candle offerings.

Local church leaders say the practice began in the 1800s, when farmers smeared themselves with mud as an expression of humility, and covered themselves with the leaves to conceal their identities due to discrimination against the poor during that time.

According to the Rev. Elmer Villamayor, who led the parish between 2014 and 2021, devotion to St. John the Baptist grew after a group of local men escaped execution during the Japanese occupation in World War II.

Villamayor said residents say the men were spared after a sudden rainstorm interrupted the proceedings, an event many interpreted as divine intervention.

While no official attendance records are kept, Villamayor estimates that up to 3,000 people take part in the festival.

Rickmar Castilio, 43, has participated for the last two decades. This year, his 11-year-old son Nathan joined him for the first time.

“There are a lot more devotees now,” Castilio said. “Maybe they have experienced miracles or they have seen good things and that is why there is an increasing number of people who believe in St. John.”

His family has its own blessing to be thankful for, Castilio said. After his first child died, he vowed to continue honoring St. John the Baptist through the annual ritual if a future child survived. He has returned every year since his prayers were answered.

“(I bring my child so) that he will get closer to St. John,” Castilio said. “The youth now are starting that path.”

Hernández reported from Beijing.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Catholic devotees covered in mud and dried banana leaves light candles as they participate at the mud people festival on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Catholic devotees cover themselves with mud and dried banana leaves in a rice field during the mud people festival on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Catholic devotee Marcus Miel Neuda covered in mud and dried banana leaves participate at the mud people festival on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Catholic devotee covered in mud and dried banana leaves participate at the mud people festival on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Catholic devotees covered in mud and dried banana leaves join the mud people festival on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist at Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)