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Important railway line between Cologne and Hagen: total closure from 2026!
From February 2026, the Hagen-Cologne railway line will be closed for five months in order to modernize the rail network in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Important railway line between Cologne and Hagen: total closure from 2026!
Commuters and travelers are facing major changes in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. From February 6, 2026, the route between Hagen and Cologne will be completely closed for more than five months. This measure affects both long-distance and regional transport, including the popular ICE and freight trains. Deutsche Bahn announced this total closure as part of a comprehensive nationwide renovation project aimed at modernizing the rail network. Loud Ruhr24 Not only will track and switch construction be carried out on the critical 65-kilometer section, but also the repair of bridges and the modernization of twelve train stations.
Traffic flow is immensely important on this route, not least because it is considered one of the busiest traffic axes in North Rhine-Westphalia. To make the change easier for commuters and travelers, replacement buses will be offered, while some S-Bahn lines will continue to operate. However, users must be prepared for significant diversions and possibly longer travel times.
Future renovation work in NRW
This total closure is only part of a larger plan that is intended to fundamentally renew numerous railway lines in North Rhine-Westphalia from 2025 to 2030. The aim of this general renovation is to improve punctuality and achieve a significant reduction in infrastructure-related disruptions. A total of 40 heavily used train routes throughout Germany are to be modernized, ten of which are in North Rhine-Westphalia 24Rhine reported.
As part of this planning, the following closures are planned for the coming years:
- Emmerich – Oberhausen: 15. Februar bis 13. Dezember 2025
- Hagen – Wuppertal – Köln: 6. Februar bis 10. Juli 2026
- Troisdorf – Koblenz: 10. Juli bis 11. Dezember 2026
- Hamm – Düsseldorf – Köln: 2027
- Hagen – Unna – Hamm: 2028
- Köln – Bonn – Koblenz: 2028
- Aachen – Köln: 2029
- Osnabrück – Münster: 2030
- Münster – Recklinghausen: 2030
- Minden – Wunstorf: 2030
The Railway and Transport Union (EVG) emphasizes that the extensive closures combined with a shortage of staff in replacement services could potentially lead to traffic chaos. Many travelers are concerned about the potential delays and inconveniences these measures could cause. Deutsche Bahn is still approaching the project with optimism, as it hopes to see a noticeable improvement in punctuality. After all, in 2022, almost every third IC or ICE train was unpunctual, which represented an intolerable situation for the railway and its customers.
The work between Emmerich and Oberhausen is already underway and is expected to take around 80 weeks. Preparations for the coming closures are in full swing, and both commuters and travelers should prepare for the changes in good time. File size, the federal aid provided for the modernization and the challenges of implementation are aspects that many will continue to follow with excitement.