380 trains run daily between Cologne and Düsseldorf, in each direction. In order to build quickly and safely on the route, it was closed for two weeks. Trains were diverted and buses were deployed – a test of patience, even for commuters.
DÜSSELDORF | After a two-week full closure, operations on the railway line on the right bank of the Rhine between Cologne and Düsseldorf will start again on Friday evening. The autumn closure between Langenfeld and Leverkusen was used as planned, the railway said. “From October 22nd, 9:00 pm, the regional and long-distance trains will be running again, the S-Bahn will follow from Monday, October 25th, 5:00 am,” said a railway spokeswoman.
Normally there are 380 trains a day in each direction on the connection between the two largest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. During the closure, trains were diverted over the left bank of the Rhine or over the Wupper line, and replacement bus services were sometimes on the way.
Meanwhile, the Langenfeld and Leverkusen sections were being built on a large scale. Around 200 people worked around the clock, including building a fourth track. The additional rail route should bring more capacity to the chronically overloaded connection with full trains. The section should be finished by the European Football Championship in 2024.
The work is part of the long-term program for the Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX), which will later connect Cologne and Dortmund by train every 15 minutes. Work will continue over the next few weeks, but then mostly at night. Among other things, cable ducts are built, cables are pulled and noise barriers are built. According to Deutsche Bahn, closures are only planned for weekends or partial routes in the area in 2022.