Rail chaos in the German city of Mainz

Over the last number of days there has been chaos at Mainz main rail station. Trains have been cancelled and more trains have been re-routed so as to avoid the main station in the capital city of Rheinland-Pfalz.

The reason for the chaos is because of a shortage rail personnel, especially signal workers. With some on holidays and others on sick leave Deutsche Bahn, German Rail, has not been in a position to operate a full service.

Signal staff are responsible for directing trains in sections and guiding trains on to other tracks. They are the traffic controllers of the railway

German Rail is currently short 1,000 signal 'men'.

Trade Union leaders say that Mainz is the tip of the iceberg.

To add to the current problems of German Rail, the company is having difficulties with the late delivery of a new generation of ICEs with Siemens technology.

And this in Germany.

In another era but the same country, a different city. Today is the anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall, which was erected on August 13, 1961.

Because of the post war division of the city houses in Bernauer Strasse lay directly on the path of the new Wall. On August 13 East German troops ordered the people, who lived in these houses, to leave them immediately.

And that was in Germany.