Deutsche Bahn AG expects train travel between Germany and Poland to remain disrupted until Friday after activists sabotaged a rail line linking Tesla Inc.’s factory with Berlin.
There’ll be detours and cancellations affecting regional train traffic and connections to Poland, a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said Thursday. Trains are still reaching a station servicing the Tesla plant in the small town of Grünheide.
An anonymous group claimed responsibility, saying it set fire to a radio mast near a railway cable shaft on Feb. 12. The group said it targeted Tesla and Deutsche Bahn for being responsible for the clearing of a protest camp near the factory in November. Environmental activists had occupied tents and tree houses in a forest for months to protest the site’s expansion.
Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The company’s German sales slumped 59% in January in a growing EV market — an indication that Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s endorsal of the far-right AfD party isn’t helping his brand in Europe’s biggest car market.
Tesla has repeatedly been the target of activism in Germany. The manufacturer temporarily halted production in Grünheide last year after suspected arson at a nearby electricity tower caused power failures throughout the region.