Train chaos in Cologne: Thousands of fans affected when the route is closed!

Train chaos in Cologne: Thousands of fans affected when the route is closed!

In the cathedral city of Cologne on Sunday evening, June 15, 2025, the motto for many travelers was: Ready, set, chaos! From around 6.45 p.m., the section of railway between the main station and Cologne Messe/Deutz was closed for around two and a half hours. The reason? Unauthorized people kept the tracks busy and caused traffic chaos that derailed dozens of trains. How express.de reported that there were no immediately implementable concepts from Deutsche Bahn for the affected lines and short-term measures had to be taken.

“There was simply no reliable alternative route for this busy section across the Rhine,” explained a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn, while trains between the main station and Deutz were at a standstill in both directions. The traffic chaos was doubly noticeable when, from around 8 p.m., thousands of handball fans streamed into Deutz after the game in the Lanxess Arena, further heating up the already backed-up traffic.

Police operation and the situation on site

The situation became even more dangerous when a police operation was initiated at the crossing from the main train station to the Hohenzollern Bridge at around 6:30 p.m. According to a police spokesman, one person threatened suicide, which tied up the emergency services for around two and a half hours. It wasn't until around 9 p.m. that the person was finally safely secured, which freed up the route again to end the chaos ksta.de reported.

These incidents are reminiscent of similar events in recent memory - at the beginning of October, train traffic was significantly disrupted as a result of a police operation in Cologne. Several tracks at Cologne Central Station had to be closed due to an emergency medical intervention, which led to delays and cancellations on numerous regional and S-Bahn lines. Despite the end of these operations, there were still disruptions that had a noticeable impact on the flow of rail traffic.

Outlook for future traffic disruptions

The incidents shed light on the fragility of Cologne's rail transport. Extensive work on the signal boxes is also planned, which will have an impact on long-distance and regional traffic until October 11th. This work is intended to form the basis for the digitalization of rail. In the future, trains on important routes could even run without signals. This can provide greater efficiency, but it also carries the risk of further unpredictable disruptions, as recent events have shown.

No matter how you twist it – for the travelers in Cologne, Sunday evening was anything but a relaxed end to the weekend. The train station chaos proved once again that you should always have a plan B ready to get to your destination. For more information about the current rail chaos, visit the website WDR.