Major railway closure: Cologne-Wuppertal-Hagen without trains from today!

Major railway closure: Cologne-Wuppertal-Hagen without trains from today!

Rail travelers in Cologne and the surrounding area will have to prepare for some changes in the coming period. From December 26th, 2025 at 9 p.m. until January 2nd, 2026, the railway line from Cologne via Wuppertal to Hagen will be closed for extensive work. There will be no trains on this section during this time, meaning travelers will have to transfer to buses while long-distance trains are rerouted. This diversion will result in an increase in travel time of around 20 to 40 minutes. The ICE connections from Cologne to Berlin and Hamburg, which are being rerouted via Düsseldorf and Duisburg, are particularly affected. No long-distance trains stop in Wuppertal and Solingen; There are only a few stops planned in Hagen. The InterCity connections are also completely canceled on this section.

Extensive traffic management is required during this time, as the route is considered one of the most important traffic axes in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is heavily frequented every day by ICE, regional and freight trains. The entire effort is part of a larger plan: A general renovation of the railway line will be carried out from February 6th to July 10th, 2026. Not only are tracks and switches being renewed, but bridges and train stations are also being modernized. This also includes the construction of new noise barriers.

Extensive work is pending

Deutsche Bahn is investing around 800 million euros in modernizing the approximately 65 kilometer long route. Numerous measures come into play during the general renovation. A total of over 80 kilometers of track, 28 switches and 30 kilometers of overhead lines will be replaced. Twelve train stations are also to be renovated, with particular attention being paid to barrier-free design. “Our goal is to improve the reliability and performance of the route,” emphasizes a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn. Replacement buses are also planned, which will be available as an alternative for local transport during the construction period, as the route will be completely closed for around a third of the construction period.

The affected local transport lines include the RE 4, RE 7 and the S-Bahn lines S 8 and S 9. The shuttle service with buses will vary depending on demand, with intervals between ten and 60 minutes. In order to provide affected passengers with the best possible information, all relevant information is available on the Deutsche Bahn website.

Future outlook

After the general renovation has been completed, the DB will also further modernize the S-Bahn line between Hagen and Düsseldorf for more sustainable operation. This future work is also planned until the end of 2027. In addition, the first contracts for the renovation have already been awarded, with a bidding consortium being awarded the contract for the first construction lot and detailed planning is already being intensively advanced.

It is clear that these comprehensive measures not only represent a challenge for travelers, but are intended to strengthen the infrastructure in the long term and significantly improve the travel experience. Even during the work, every effort will be made to keep the impact on commuters and travelers as low as possible.