Germany rail network comes to complete halt nationwide due to IT malfunction

German rail company Deutsche Bahn has paused its train services across the country due to a nationwide IT disruption.

All its trains are being held at stations, following a malfunction with the country's digital railway radio network on Tuesday evening.

Deutsche Bahn said in a statement that the cause of the disruption, which had affected internal communication channels, "has now been identified" and technicians are working "diligently to resolve the issue".

Passengers have been urged to find alternative modes of transport with major delays and cancellations expected. Deutsche Bahn did not say how long the disruption could last or how many trains and passengers have been affected.

Speaking to the German newspaper Bild, Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla said "we are now trying to get the trains into stations so that travellers can disembark", according to Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The Global System for Mobile Communication for Railways (GSM-R), which is at the centre of the disruption, is a wireless communication tool used between train drivers and traffic control centres.

Deutsche Bahn has apologised to passengers for the situation, adding it will give taxi and hotel vouchers to affected passengers.

It also said and it would offer replacement transport where possible.