What rail customers need to know after the flood

Numerous train cancellations
:
What rail customers need to know now

–

Destroyed railway tracks on the line between Cologne and Trier.
Photo: dpa / Oliver Berg

–
–

Düsseldirf Many trains are canceled, seven routes in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate even have to be rebuilt: The railway was hit hard by the flood disaster. We tell you where routes are closed and what compensation is available.

One week after the devastating flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) railway lines in the region are still badly hit by the consequences of the extreme floods. Many train connections have failed, and some routes can only be used to a limited extent. After all, long-distance traffic is running much better again than immediately after the flood, albeit with some delays. Which railway lines are affected? On which routes is there replacement traffic? What do rail customers need to know now? An overview.

–

Route sections As already reported, Deutsche Bahn has to build seven new lines, at least in part. “In North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the water has in particular the Eifel line, the Voreifel and Erfttalbahn, the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn line 9 (Wuppertal-Essen-Steele) as well as the Hagen-Bruges and Ruhr-Sieg line. Line (Hagen – Plettenberg) badly damaged, ”said the railway. The Ahr Valley Railway was also severely affected by the destruction, in this area seven bridges and 24 kilometers of route are no longer or only rudimentary. On the S9 line between Essen and Wuppertal, according to the company, not only do broken tracks have to be replaced over ten kilometers, but also the entire substructure, including lines and cables. There the tracks were washed away. Accordingly, the line’s power supply is also destroyed.

–

Repairs Repairs could take weeks or even months elsewhere, for example between Herzogenrath and Geilenkirchen on the route from Aachen to Mönchengladbach or along the connection between Bochum and Hattingen. There are still delays on other sections. There is currently also construction work on the route on which the RB 33 normally operates. The regions affected are Aachen, Heinsberg, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Duisburg and Essen. Trains are canceled there. Replacement traffic is available between Aachen and Heinsberg and between Rheydt and Mönchengladbach.

–

According to the company, some of the damage has been repaired in the past few days “often makeshift” in order to “resume train traffic as soon as possible”. Elevators, for example, were damaged and / or platforms were washed down at 80 train stations. The company has already been able to repair a lot of minor damage here.

–

damage The damage to the DB infrastructure (routes, stations, etc.) was recently estimated at 1.3 billion euros. A large part of this is in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, a smaller amount in Bavaria and Saxony. Loss of sales by the state-owned company due to a lack of ticket income are not even included. And when new sections of the route are built, which can drag on for months, there is of course always the risk of heavy rain and floods, which could trigger new burdens for the Group.

–

Customers Before traveling, travelers should check the Deutsche Bahn website to ensure that their train is actually running as planned. Deutsche Bahn has also set up a free hotline for all customers who want to find out about the current traffic situation and the effects of the storms on rail traffic. The number is 08000-996633. Customers who have already purchased tickets can return them and have the fare refunded if the train does not leave. This always applies if the train completely fails. If he is delayed, there is a delay of up to 60 minutes 25 percent of the fare, from two hours delay 50 percent. Anyone who has claims can assert them via bahn.de, in the DB Navigator app by post or at a Deutsche Bahn travel center.

–

Goodwill rule In addition, Deutsche Bahn has created a goodwill rule for all journeys that should have taken place up to last Tuesday: all long-distance tickets on routes affected by the storm in North Rhine-Westphalia can either be used flexibly or canceled free of charge up to seven days after the end of the disruption. According to the DB, this also applies, for example, to tickets bought at a saver price. Customers can also exchange their seat reservations free of charge.

–

Leave a Comment Cancel reply