Waiting times on Reherweg: Drivers in Hameln stand still for minutes!

Waiting times on Reherweg: Drivers in Hameln stand still for minutes!

Drivers at the Reherweg railway crossing in Hameln currently have to be patient. According to reports from Dewezet Waiting times can be up to five minutes, which is not only stressful but also leads to long traffic jams on both sides of the crossing. Schillerstrasse, another crossing on the same train route, offers a much faster alternative with a waiting time of around two minutes. Resident Sonja Praus has observed that many drivers are already turning around due to the long waiting times, which further aggravates the situation.

But what causes the long waiting times at Reherweg? The problem does not seem to be so easy to grasp. Despite her efforts to make Deutsche Bahn aware of the problem, Praus has not yet received any response. The differences between the locking techniques on Reherweg and Schillerstrasse could play a role here: While Schillerstrasse is “train-controlled,” Reherweg works according to the “signal-controlled” system. This means that longer waiting times for drivers are possible, especially with long freight trains.

Renovation in sight, but many questions remain unanswered

Hope for the affected drivers lies in the planned renovation of the Reherweg level crossing, which is scheduled for 2028. However, whether the closing times can be shortened at this point remains to be seen, as this depends on various factors. A small ray of hope is that other crossings in the northern part of the city such as Süntelstrasse and Schillerstrasse, which are more likely to be renovated according to the railway's priority list, are already on the agenda for 2026. The Reherweg, on the other hand, is still considered to be in good condition.

Another topic that is constantly refreshed in the discussion about level crossings is safety. car motor and sport reports that the railways and the federal government have been working since 2019 on the goal of dismantling old station crossings or replacing them with bridges in order to reduce the risk of accidents. There is an increased tendency for collisions between trains and vehicles, particularly at unrestricted crossings. Currently, more than 63% of level crossings in Germany are technically secured, which has reduced the number of accidents by over 75% since 1995. However, the challenge remains to make the last remaining crossings safer in the near future.

However, the implementation of these projects is not without costs, which can range between 10,000 and 200,000 euros for closures. The Federal Ministry of Transport supports projects with around 75 million euros annually to put these measures into practice.

So it will remain exciting for residents and drivers in Hameln: How will the situation on Reherweg develop and can the long waiting times be reduced in the future? It remains to be hoped that the planned renovations and safety measures will take effect in a timely manner and thus ease traffic in the region.