Bochum main station: XXL closure from November – this is how you get along!

Bochum main station: XXL closure from November – this is how you get along!

From November onwards it will be again the case in Bochum: construction work is the order of the day! Bochum Central Station will be a construction site from Monday, November 17th to Wednesday, December 10th. During this time, Deutsche Bahn is carrying out crucial bridge work. In addition to the visual task of making the station fit for the future, there will also be significant restrictions on regional traffic. Ruhr24 reports that the regional train lines RE 16 and RB 40 are affected.

It will be particularly critical for commuters between Essen and Witten during the construction period. The RE 16 is completely canceled between Essen main station and Hagen main station, and the RB 40 will no longer run between Bochum and Witten. For travelers who rely on these connections, this inevitably means changes and waiting times. But Deutsche Bahn has taken precautions and is running replacement buses that run every half hour during peak hours. The buses start from Witten every day at 5:15 a.m. and reach Bochum at 5:33 a.m. Return journeys begin at 4:14 a.m. in Essen.

Limitations and alternatives

But that's not all: There are additional stops for the replacement buses, including Essen-Kray Süd and Wattenscheid. So that everyone is well informed, the last buses running between Witten and Bochum are scheduled to depart Witten at 2:47 a.m. and in the opposite direction at 2:45 a.m. There will even be additional night trips on the weekends from November 22nd to December 7th. However, anyone who has bicycles or e-scooters should be careful - these are not allowed on the replacement buses. The Bochum Journal also points out important information about the timetable, which is available on 0202 515 62 515 or on the website zuginfo.nrw.

The construction work is part of an extensive project to improve rail transport and expand the infrastructure in Bochum. This also includes other important work, such as the renewal of switches at the main station and the extension of the passenger underpass at Wattenscheid station. During the construction period, travelers will have to expect diversions and additional bus connections, which will be challenging not only for commuters, but also for those traveling on long-distance trains.

Direct consequences for long-distance transport

The current closure of the main route between Essen and Dortmund has been causing massive restrictions on long-distance traffic since September 5th. During this time there will no longer be a direct stop for long-distance trains at Bochum main station. Travelers must expect longer journey times of up to 20 minutes as they will have to travel to Essen or Dortmund via diversions in the future. Loud bahn.de All relevant information about disruptions, timetables and replacement connections is currently available online.

As we can see, the next few weeks could be a real test of patience for many travelers. But with CE and high traffic volumes around the construction sites, you should be well prepared. Bochum train station will become a hub for construction sites in the short term, but in the long term these measures should help to sustainably improve rail connections in the region.