Train travel through the Schaffhausen railway station ground to a halt on Friday evening after an unattended piece of luggage triggered a large-scale police deployment, cordoning off the station and surrounding streets while specialists investigated potential hazards.
According to a Schaffhausen police spokesperson quoted by Keystone-SDA, the operation commenced around 18:00 and remained underway at 20:00, with no injuries reported and no person harmed as the area was secured.
Police Seal off Station Perimeter and Streets
The police operation began outside the station building, prompting authorities to seal off the main transport hub and the adjacent Bahnhofstrasse, alongside access routes including Bogenstrasse, Schwertstrasse, and Löwengässchen.
Public warning applications such as Alertswiss advised residents and travelers to avoid the entire station perimeter and nearby streets. Ambulances were dispatched to the site as a precautionary measure, while buses were rerouted via Spitalstrasse. Meanwhile, the city was hosting the First-Friday-Festival featuring activities across more than 60 shops, restaurants, and cultural businesses.
System-Wide Railway Service Suspensions
The disruptions immediately halted all train movements through the interchange. SBB confirmed that every line running through the station was suspended, affecting IC, IRE, RE48, S1, S9, S12, S24, S33, S62, and S64 services, with regional announcements broadcasting the disruption as far away as Neuhausen and Winterthur. Passengers traveling between Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof were rerouted via Basel SBB, according to SRF.
Officers Deploy Robot to Examine Abandoned Luggage
The Schaffhausen police deployed a significant force to the scene, backed by specialists from the Forensic Institute of Zurich, the Schaffhausen fire department, and additional partner organizations, as noted by SRF.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that no written or telephone threats had been received prior to the discovery of the abandoned item, distinguishing the incident from rumors of a bomb threat circulating among commuters, while investigators deployed a robot to examine the luggage on-site. A police spokesperson told SRF that forces were working with high urgency to determine whether any danger emanated from the item, adding that officials hoped to issue an all-clear soon.