As of today, the GDL rail strike is leading to countless train cancellations in North Rhine-Westphalia and throughout Germany. However, there are alternatives for commuters in and around Cologne.
Cologne – The wave of strikes in rail transport simply never ends. The GDL train drivers’ union has been on strike again at Deutsche Bahn since Wednesday morning (January 24th). This time the strike is scheduled to last a full six days and last until Monday (January 29th) at 6 p.m. Deutsche Bahn is once again expecting massive disruptions to train traffic. A number of trains are also canceled in North Rhine-Westphalia due to the strike. What do commuters in Cologne and the surrounding area need to know about the strike?
Rail strike in Cologne: What passengers need to know
► Duration of the rail strike: The GDL is calling on its members to strike between Wednesday, January 24th, 2 a.m., and Monday, January 29th, 6 p.m.
► Long-distance transport: Massive disruptions such as cancellations and delays are possible
► Regional trains: Massive disruptions such as cancellations and delays are possible
► S-Bahn: Massive disruptions such as cancellations and delays are possible
► Alternatives: Some train lines still run. And the KVB buses and trains also run.
Rail strike in Cologne: S-Bahn, regional trains and long-distance traffic affected
Deutsche Bahn expects “massive disruption to long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic” due to the strike. Many trains in North Rhine-Westphalia are also affected by the rail strike – and thus also the Cologne area. This has consequences for the Cologne S-Bahn. This means that there are failures and restrictions on some lines. There should still be individual trips. But “the emergency timetable only ensures a very limited range of trains in DB’s long-distance, regional and S-Bahn traffic,” the railway clarified.
It is already clear that there will be delays, (partial) cancellations, restrictions and disruptions on the following lines in and around Cologne:
S-Bahn lines
► S6 (Cologne-Worringen – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Ratingen – Essen): The trains run every 60 minutes until 8 p.m. between Düsseldorf Rath-Mitte and Cologne-Hansaring.
► S11 (Bergisch Gladbach – Cologne – Neuss – Düsseldorf – Düsseldorf Airport Terminal): The trains are canceled.
► S12 (Au (Sieg) – Hennef – Troisdorf – Cologne/Bonn Airport – Cologne – Horrem): The trains are canceled.
► S19 (Au (Sieg) – Hennef – Troisdorf – Cologne/Bonn Airport – Cologne – Horrem – Düren): The trains run every 60 minutes until 8 p.m.
► S23/RB 23 Bonn (Bonn – Rheinbach – Meckenheim – Euskirchen): The trains run every 60 minutes until 8 p.m.
Regional trains
► KING8 (Mönchengladbach – Cologne – Cologne/Bonn Airport – Troisdorf – Bonn-Beuel – Koblenz): The trains are canceled.
► RE9 (Aachen – Cologne – Troisdorf -Au (Sieg) – Betzdorf – Siegen): The trains are canceled. Express buses run every hour between Cologne and Siegen without stopping.
► RE12 (Cologne – Euskirchen): The trains are canceled.
►RE22 (Cologne – Euskirchen – Mechernich – Kall): The trains are canceled.
► RB24 (Cologne – Euskirchen – Kall/Gerolstein): The trains run every 60 minutes until 9 p.m.
►RB25 (Cologne – Overath – Engelskirchen – Marienheide – Meinerzhagen – Lüdenscheid): The trains run every 120 minutes.
►RB27 (Mönchengladbach – Rommerskirchen – Cologne – Troisdorf – Bonn-Beuel – Koblenz): The trains run every 120 minutes until 8 p.m.
►RB38 (Cologne Messe/Deutz – Horrem – Bedburg): The trains are canceled. A replacement bus service will be set up between Bedburg (Erft) and Horrem.
Source: zuginfo.nrw, as of January 23rd, 6 a.m
Note: The list does not claim to be complete
Rail strike in Cologne: What alternatives do commuters have?
Some trains, such as those from National Express, are running despite the strike (symbolic photo). © Jochen Tack/Imago
Despite the numerous cancellations and restrictions, there will still be alternatives for commuters from Wednesday despite the strike. These include:
- Different train lines: Longer waiting times than usual must be expected on railway lines that are only running to a limited extent due to the strike, as the timing is often different. In addition, there are also trains that run on a regular schedule despite the strike. These are operated by rail companies that are not on strike by the GDL. For example, the company National Express, which operates the RE1 and RE5 lines, among others. Although the trains run regularly, there may still be restrictions due to strikes in the railway infrastructure. Travelers should therefore definitely find out before departure whether the selected connection actually runs.
- The KVB in Cologne: Commuters traveling within Cologne can also use the KVB during the strike. The buses and trains are not affected by the rail strike. Some lines also reach other cities. The KVB line 18 runs from Thielenbruch via Cologne main station, Hürth and Brühl to Bonn.
These trains travel through NRW via Cologne – despite the rail strike
During the rail strike, the following trains should continue to run according to plan in the greater Cologne area:
- RE1 (Aachen–Cologne–Düsseldorf–Duisburg–Essen–Dortmund–Hamm)
- RE5 (Koblenz–Bonn–Cologne–Düsseldorf–Duisburg–Oberhausen–Wesel)
- RE6 (Cologne/Bonn Airport–Neuss–Düsseldorf–Duisburg–Essen–Dortmund–Hamm–Bielefeld–Minden)
- RE7 (Rhine–Münster–Hamm–Hagen–Wuppertal–Cologne–Neuss–Krefeld)
- RB48 (Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen–Cologne–Bonn–Bonn-Mehlem)
- Source: zuginfo.nrw, as of January 23rd, 6 a.m
- Note: The list does not claim to be complete
Rail strike in Cologne: Wherever the KVB goes
With the KVB, commuters can also get to Bonn (symbolic photo). © Christoph Hardt/Imago
If you want to travel with the KVB, you can also reach some of Cologne’s neighboring cities. The following cities are included:
- Bonn: Commuters come to the former federal capital with the KVB line 16 and the KVB line 18. This takes them to Bonn main station and Bonn-Bad Godesberg.
- Brühl: With the KVB line 18, Brühl can be reached via Brühl-Süd, Brühl-Mitte, Brühl-Nord and Brühl-Vochem.
- Hurth: The KVB line 18 also takes commuters via Hürth-Hermülheim to Hürth.
- Bergisch Gladbach: The KVB line 1 can be reached via Lustheide, Refrath, Kippekausen, Frankenforst, Neuenweg, Im Hoppenkamp and the Bensberg district.
By the way: Train travelers in Düsseldorf also have plenty of strike alternatives. (jr) Fairly and independently informed about what is happening in Cologne, Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia – subscribe to our free 24RHEIN newsletter here.
2024-01-24 11:08:22
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