National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said all trains had been immobilized at stations following a breakdown in critical communication infrastructure used to coordinate rail traffic across the network.

The company said technical teams were working to resolve the disruption but did not provide a timetable for restoring operations.

The outage affected services operated by Deutsche Bahn as well as regional and local transport providers, according to transport authorities and rail operators. Berlin’s public transport authority said the disruption extended across all categories of rail services nationwide.

In northern Germany, regional operator Metronom reported that rail traffic had come to a complete stop due to the large-scale communications failure. The company, which serves routes linking Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover and carries more than 120,000 passengers daily, advised travelers to avoid rail journeys and seek alternative means of transportation.

“We think that nothing else will be running tonight,” Metronom spokesman Simon Martens told AFP.

Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, said rail traffic had been entirely suspended as a result of the outage.

The incident highlights the challenges facing Germany’s railway system as the government seeks to modernize infrastructure that has suffered from decades of underinvestment. The network has frequently faced criticism over delays, congestion and aging equipment, prompting Berlin to commit substantial public funding toward upgrades and expansion projects.

Railway radio systems are a critical component of train operations, enabling communication between dispatchers, control centers and train crews. Any widespread failure can force operators to suspend services for safety reasons until reliable communications are restored.

Officials have not indicated whether the disruption resulted from a technical malfunction, infrastructure failure or another cause. Deutsche Bahn said investigations into the outage were continuing while engineers worked to return the network to service.

The disruption affected one of Europe’s busiest rail systems, with thousands of passengers facing delays and cancellations during the evening travel period.

The reopening of Imam Khomeini International Airport marks the latest step toward restoring civilian air travel after authorities halted all incoming flights on Sunday in response to escalating regional security concerns.

“The deputy head of airport operation of Imam Khomeini Airport Company announced the resumption of flights to Imam Khomeini Airport and the flights of pilgrims,” Iran’s Mehr news agency reported.

The airport suspension followed Iranian missile strikes on Israel on Sunday. Israel subsequently carried out retaliatory strikes, prompting heightened security measures and disruptions to regional air traffic.

The reopening allows the return of Hajj pilgrims traveling from Saudi Arabia, an important seasonal movement of passengers as Muslims conclude the annual pilgrimage.

The closure was the latest operational interruption at Imam Khomeini International Airport, one of two airports serving the Iranian capital. The facility had only resumed activity in April after remaining shut for several weeks during the Middle East conflict.

The reopening underscores efforts by Iranian authorities to restore normal transportation links while regional tensions continue to affect aviation operations across the Middle East.

No further details were immediately provided regarding flight schedules or additional operational restrictions at the airport.

Trump announced the move in a social media post, citing a need to end what he called “chaos at the airports,” while lawmakers worked overnight to pass a measure that would fund most DHS operations but exclude immigration enforcement agencies central to the political dispute.

The Senate approved the funding deal unanimously without a roll call vote, sending the measure to the House of Representatives for consideration later on Friday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the agreement would allow much of the government to reopen, though negotiations would continue on unresolved issues.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the delay, saying the agreement could have been reached earlier and reiterating demands for reforms tied to immigration enforcement funding.

The White House had considered invoking emergency powers to pay TSA workers during the shutdown. Instead, Trump’s order will direct payments using funds from a 2025 tax law, according to a senior administration official.

The funding package covers agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard, but leaves out Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, reflecting the core disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over immigration policy.

Travel disruptions mountThe prolonged funding lapse has led to significant operational strain at U.S. airports, with rising absenteeism among TSA staff who have missed paychecks.

Government data showed more than 11% of scheduled TSA workers were absent on Wednesday, with some airports reporting callout rates exceeding 40%.Nearly 500 of the agency’s roughly 50,000 transportation security officers have resigned during the shutdown, exacerbating delays and raising concerns about airport operations nationwide.

Union officials welcomed the move to pay TSA employees but urged Congress to pass a comprehensive funding agreement to stabilize DHS operations and ensure all federal workers are compensated.