Mayors warn: S-Bahn offer on winning route in danger!

Mayors warn: S-Bahn offer on winning route in danger!

Citizens in the region around Siegburg and Hennef must prepare for possible deteriorations in the S-Bahn service on the heavily frequented Sieg route. Mayor Stefan Rosemann from Siegburg and Mario Dahm from Hennef, both from the SPD, expressed their concerns loudly and clearly in a joint letter. There are serious fears that the timetable for lines S 12 and S 19, which serve as a rail connection for many commuters, will be thinned out at the end of next year due to a diversion of selected connections to Troisdorf and Bonn-Beuel. The reason for the planned changes is a lack of capacity that arose due to the failure to build a flyover near Troisdorf. This situation is hitting people in the affected cities particularly hard, according to the mayors, who have appealed to members of the state parliament from the Rhein-Sieg district to oppose a reduction in services and to advocate for efficient S-Bahn transport. The cities of Hennef and Siegburg are not only important for local transport, but also important bus hubs in the Rhein-Sieg district.

But that's not all, because Deutsche Bahn has also announced that extensive maintenance work will take place on the victory track from Friday, August 22nd to Friday, September 12th. This work not only affects bridges and tunnels, but also the train stations along the route. The places particularly affected include Troisdorf, Au (Sieg) and Betzdorf (Sieg). During this time, some RE 9, RB 90, RB 93, S 12 and S 19 trains will be replaced by buses. During this phase, a whole lot of IC connections will also be canceled, which poses additional challenges for commuters and travelers.

Effects of maintenance work

The maintenance work is part of the comprehensive preparations for diverted traffic that are necessary for the corridor renovation between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden in 2026. These modernization measures not only offer an opportunity to immediately improve the route, but are also part of a longer-term renovation program that aims to increase the profitability and stability of rail operations through technical innovations, such as the use of artificial intelligence.

The DB relies on digital solutions to improve the timetable and predict arrival times, which should ultimately benefit citizens traveling by train. Automated data collection about the condition of vehicles and routes is a step in the right direction in order to meet the coming challenges in the railway infrastructure.

Comment from the mayor

In their letter, the mayors once again urgently appeal to members of parliament to campaign for the preservation of the existing connections and to demand a strengthening of services on the Siegtal route. Finally, a reduction in supply can not only affect commuter traffic, but also jeopardize the transport transition that promotes urbanization and environmental awareness among citizens. They demand a sustainable solution that meets the needs of the population and at the same time ensures the attractiveness and performance of public transport in the Rhein-Sieg district.

The coming months will be crucial for mobility in the region - both due to the construction work and the potential changes to the S-Bahn service. Citizens are called upon to actively follow developments and make their voices heard.