Starting Friday, February 6th, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has fully closed a length of tracks between Cologne, Wuppertal and Hagen for a fiveâmonth general renovation, scheduled to run until July 10th.
Passengers in Cologne have seen timetable changes for local railway services since January 30th, ahead of the main closure.
The project aims to modernise a key transport artery in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). In the meantime, however, travellers should be prepared for major changes to their usual journeys, including months of closures, diversions and replacement buses.
How are rail passengers be affected?
Passengers using this route can expect changes across almost all regional and longâdistance services.
During the closure, several regional express and SâBahn lines are either diverted or replaced by bus services. These include the RE4, RE7, RE13, RE49, RB48 and SâBahn lines S7, S8, S9, S28 and S68.
In many cases, trains won't run at all along the affected stretch, with DB providing a mix of express buses and others with interim stops.
Longâdistance services are also be heavily disrupted. Trains that normally run between Cologne and Dortmund are diverted via DĂźsseldorf and Essen, adding travel time and omitting the usual stops through Wuppertal.
READ ALSO: Flixtrain to dramatically grow German fleet and expand connections
According to the plans, ICE services between Cologne and Berlin continue to operate hourly, but take the longer diversion via DĂźsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen and Bochum â extending typical journeys by about 20 to 30 minutes.
International and crossâregional services are set to be affected as well. IC trains connecting Stuttgart, Mainz, Cologne, Hanover, Magdeburg and Dresden operate only between Stuttgart and Cologne and between Dortmund and Dresden during the works.
Passengers in Cologne have seen changes to their normal timetable since January 30th, including cancellations or diversions on SâBahn lines near CologneâMesse/Deutz and Cologne â TrimbornstraĂe.
DB is advising passengers to plan their journeys carefully, allow extra time and check updated timetables before travelling.
More detailed routeâbyâroute information is available on the Deutsche Bahn website or in the Baustellenmeldungen section of the DB Navigator app.
READ ALSO: How travellers can navigate the âlast mileâ with Deutsche Bahn's updated app
How long are the works expected to last?
The main closure started on February 6th and is due to end on July 10th, amounting to just over five months. During roughly oneâthird of this period, the line will be completely shut to all train traffic.
The remaining weeks will involve phased closures, diversions, and restricted operations as various parts of the project progress.
Why are the works taking place?
DB says the overhaul aims to make the line âmore reliable and efficient in the long termâ.
The CologneâWuppertalâHagen corridor is one of the most heavily used railway sections in the region, carrying a mix of longâdistance, regional and freight trains. After years of intensive use, it's become prone to delays due to wear.
The scale of the project is extensive. Crews will replace around 80 kilometres of track, renew 28 switches, and modernise nearly 30 kilometres of overhead line equipment.
READ ALSO: When passengers in Germany can claim refunds for trains cancelled by storms
They will also construct roughly four kilometres of new noise protection barriers, making the line quieter for local residents, and begin modernising twelve stations to improve accessibility and platform quality.
Although passengers will feel the inconvenience now, DB suggests that the benefits will be felt for years to come.
Comments