Cologne Central Station: massive diversions through new signal box project

The Cologne Central Station will become a major challenge for commuters and travelers in the coming weeks. Due to the commissioning of a new electronic signal box, almost all trains are redirected from Friday evening to the following Monday or replacement buses are provided. Regional transport is particularly affected, including the failure of the ICE sprinters from Bonn to Berlin. This comprehensive blocking is one of the biggest restrictions in the Cologne area.

The railway line between Cologne and Koblenz on the left side of the Rhine is completely shut down, while the route on the right remains continues to be open. The connections to Euskirchen and Aachen in Cologne are also affected. The entire train operation is expected to be set over a period of around two and a half weeks, which presents the most frequented train station in North Rhine-Westphalia with an enormous challenge.

During this time, around 180,000 travelers are expected at Cologne Central Station every day, which also complicated the Situation. Marcel Winter, Managing Director of GO.Rheinland, recognized the strain on passengers and emphasized that everyone involved is aware of the situation. The replacement traffic is organized by a fleet of over 100 buses, which are used on six regional express and six regional railway lines as well as various S-Bahn connections, and should cover about 700,000 kilometers during the closure.

Starting and target points of the rail replacement traffic include Cologne Central Station, the Messe/Deutz, Hansaring station and stations in Horrem, Euskirchen and Bonn. From Bonn, a bus connection to Koblenz and the Ahr Valley is offered. During the operating disorder, last work is also carried out to check the technology of the new "Left Rhein" signal box. After all, these measures that cost a total of 360 million euros should increase the reliability of rail traffic in Cologne.

With a view to future development, Deutsche Bahn assumes that the new signals will result in an improvement in the flexibility and reliability of the train operation. For passengers who are affected by delays and train failures, there is hope for more smooth traffic after completing the work.