Greens are urgently calling for double-track rail expansion between Rheydt and Kaldenkirchen!

Greens are urgently calling for double-track rail expansion between Rheydt and Kaldenkirchen!

In the heart of the North Rhine-Westphalia region, the planned double-track expansion of the railway line from Rheydt-Odenkirchen to Kaldenkirchen is increasingly coming into focus. The district associations of ALLIANCE 90/THE GREENS in Mönchengladbach and the Viersen district have now clearly spoken out in favor of this measure. That's what he reports Rhenish mirrors. The need for such an expansion is clear: current bottlenecks in the rail network endanger the reliability of local and long-distance transport and can undermine central planning for the transport transition in the region.

Ilka Bresges, spokeswoman for the Green Party from Mönchengladbach, emphasizes that the expansion is long overdue. Commuters on the RE 13 in particular suffer from the frequent delays and train cancellations. The single-track nature of the line is identified as a structural problem that could be remedied through targeted expansion. Karsten Dakalakis, also from the Greens, demands that “no improvements are possible” without the necessary two-track approach.

A European hub?

Another focus of the Greens is the potential for the region to become a European rail transport hub. Anja Degenhardt from the Viersen Green District Association firmly believes that the region could experience a significant upswing through targeted investments. The route is important not only for passenger traffic, but also for freight traffic between the Rhineland, the Lower Rhine and the Dutch seaports.

The application to include the route in the special infrastructure fund of the federal, state and local governments receives broad support. Michaela Baldus, co-chair of the Viersen district association, points out that the financial resources for such projects are available and the political will is crucial.

Infrastructure projects in focus

The expansion of the rail infrastructure is of national importance, which is underlined by Deutsche Bahn's S3 renovation program. Investments totaling 53 billion euros are planned in the network and train stations by 2027. 8 billion euros alone will flow into 13 general renovations. The aim is to comprehensively improve the existing infrastructure. Maintenance and expansion measures are already on the table, and there are plans to make 400 stations more customer-friendly and future-proof, as shown deutschebahn.com was announced.

The planned intensification also includes the modernization of central nodes and corridors to increase security and capacity standards. Over 220 of the expected 355 measures are expected to be operational by 2027, and the modernization is also intended to advance digital rail.

The momentum-like development around the expansion of the Rheydt-Odenkirchen railway line to Kaldenkirchen reflects the general trend that would like to upgrade the rail infrastructure in the entire region. The developments and investments that are now being initiated are without a doubt a step in the right direction. A comprehensive and reliable rail network is important not only for the quality of life of local residents, but also for the attractiveness of cities and communities and for the regional economy.

With these measures, Cologne and the entire surrounding area are facing an exciting time - the anticipation of improved local transport is more than justified!