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Major railway closure in North Rhine-Westphalia: Commuters have to wait for months!
The Cologne-Wuppertal-Hagen railway line will be renovated from February to July 2026, resulting in extensive restrictions for commuters.
Major railway closure in North Rhine-Westphalia: Commuters have to wait for months!
There will be a big change for rail travelers between Cologne, Wuppertal and Hagen. From theFebruary 6th to probably July 10th, 2026The railway line will be renovated, and this will have far-reaching consequences for all long-distance transport in the region. Ruhr24 reported that the65 kilometer long routewill be completely closed to long-distance traffic during this time. During the closure, commuters have to switch to replacement buses, which take many times longer to cover the route.
The upcoming renovation was long overdue because the railway infrastructure has been struggling with dilapidated areas and inadequate reliability for years. In addition, Deutsche Bahn is planning around 2035To modernize 40 important routes nationwide, which will result in months of restrictions in the coming years not only for the Cologne region, but also for the whole of Germany. For the renovation between Cologne and Wuppertal, for example800 million eurosbudgeted.
Details about the renovation
The construction work begins onFebruary 6th at 9 p.mand should run for five months. During this time, most long-distance trains on the route are canceled. The effects include that ICE trains to Berlin and Hamburg will be rerouted via the Ruhr area, which will increase travel times20 to 40 minutesextended. Travelers will therefore have to prepare for longer journeys.
- Fernzüge zwischen Köln, Wuppertal und Hagen fallen aus.
- In Wuppertal und Solingen gibt es während der Bauzeit keinen Fernverkehr.
- In Hagen halten nur einige wenige ICE-Züge.
Regional trains are also affected. For example, some lines, such as RE 4 and RE 13, are temporarily canceled. However, there are also solutions: Use them65 replacement buses, which run every ten minutes and take travelers back and forth between the train stations. Some of the buses stop at all stations, while others race along the highway as express buses.
Long-term investments in transport infrastructure
The construction work is part of a comprehensive plan by the federal government to sustainably improve the infrastructure in Germany. Loud daily news stand until 2029166 billion eurosfor the rehabilitation of dilapidated railway lines and motorway bridges. Around 107 billion euros will benefit rail alone, which underlines the focus on modernizing the rail infrastructure. These measures are crucial to improving the punctuality and reliability of the railway in the long term.
In view of the impending restrictions, travelers are strongly recommended to regularly check online about the current connections and punctuality of the replacement buses. The WDR explains the most important information and gives an overview of the upcoming construction phases. It remains to be hoped that the essential renovation will not only cause short-term inconveniences, but will also ensure better rail connections in the long term.