German railway resumes service to valley devastated by flood

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s national railway on Monday resumed train service to a western valley that was devastated by flooding in mid-July after extensive repair work. The narrow Ahr valley suffered the worst destruction in the July 14-15 floods which left more than 180 people dead in Germany and also claimed lives in neighboring Belgium. Heavy rainfall turned small streams into raging torrents, sweeping away houses, bridges and cars. Railway operator Deutsche Bahn said that, starting Monday, two trains per hour are running each way between the valley’s main town of Ahrweiler and Remagen, on the Rhine river. A further section will be reopened in December.