Rail travellers in North Rhine-Westphalia are in for another round of patience-testing delays and cancellations starting this Sunday. Announced in advance by Deutsche Bahn (DB), construction work in the Rhineland and Ruhr region will cause these disruptions. The union GDL also announced a nationwide warning strike, set to last until Friday evening, but its impact on rail travel remains to be seen.
DB is investing in a state-of-the-art electronic interlocking system in the greater Cologne area. This project comes with a hefty price tag, and from December 10 to 15, it will disrupt services on the ICE Sprinter line Bonn-Cologne-Berlin and the ICE line Koblenz/Bonn-Cologne-Hanover-Berlin. Trains will now start and end in Cologne, bypassing Bonn Central Station during this period. Trains scheduled to depart from Koblenz will be rerouted via the Rhine's right bank and will not stop in Bonn or Cologne Central Station, but instead at Cologne Messe/Deutz.
From December 15 to 29, long-distance trains from Cologne heading towards Düsseldorf will be diverted via Neuss, skipping Düsseldorf Airport. Regional services will also see partial cancellations on numerous routes between December 10 and 29, affecting lines such as the RE5, RB26, RB48, and RB30.
In the Ruhr region, construction on two railroad bridges over the Autobahn 42 is set to cause track closures between Wanne-Eickel and Recklinghausen-Süd. These closures are expected to last until mid-April 2024, significantly impacting rail services. The RE2 between Essen and Düsseldorf will be cancelled, while the RE41 between Haltern am See and Bochum, and the RB46 between Bochum and Gelsenkirchen will also see service interruptions during this time. DB warns passengers to expect detours, journey time extensions, and stop cancellations on long-distance services during this period.
Starting Sunday, a new timetable will kick off for long-distance rail services, promising improvements for the important route between Berlin and NRW. Deutsche Bahn has plans to add a new ICE line connecting Berlin and Wuppertal, and is also looking to improve services on some existing lines by offering additional journeys and fewer intermediate stops.
Rail travellers should brace themselves for temporary delays, cancellations, and route alterations as Deutsche Bahn moves forward with its construction plans in Bonn, Cologne, and Düsseldorf.
Read also:
- Construction work on railways in North Rhine-Westphalia may cause temporary disruptions to rail services during December 2023 and April 2024, as is common with such projects.
- Germany has a dense and modern transportation network, including high-speed trains like the ICE, but specific construction work affecting rail travel in North Rhine-Westphalia during these months is not detailed.
- Although no precise information about construction work on rail travel in North Rhine-Westphalia is available, it is expected that passengers should plan their journeys and consider alternative transportation options to minimize disruptions.
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