Power outage in Cologne: Construction work causes chaos in local transport!

Power outage in Cologne: Construction work causes chaos in local transport!

On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, there was an unexpected power outage in Cologne's Old Town South and in Raderberg that began at 8:15 a.m. The cause was a defective cable on the corner of Sechtemer Strasse and Bonner Strasse, which was damaged by construction work with an excavator. The districts that were most affected included areas such as the wholesale market, Marktstrasse as well as Bonner and Alteburger Strasse and some surrounding KVB stops, as Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported.

Particularly in Cologne, known for its reliable infrastructure, power outages are rare, but can occur due to various factors such as technical malfunctions or construction work, as stromtreibkoeln.de explains. Extreme weather conditions are also among the possible causes of such disruptions. The ongoing demand for electricity and technical progress present energy networks with new challenges, which can affect smooth supply.

Impact on local transport

The effects of the power outage were clearly noticeable for the citizens of Cologne. The KVB reported restrictions on local public transport: no trains ran between Chlodwigplatz and Ubierring, while line 15 only ran from Chorweiler to Eifelplatz and line 16 from Sebastianstrasse to the trade fair. Line 17 was particularly affected and was completely discontinued. Replacement buses were used to fill the resulting gaps.

Police determined there were no major incidents due to the power outage. Only one traffic light in Raderberg failed. Rheinenergie has already started repairing the damaged cable, so normality should return soon. Further information on the progress of the repair will follow shortly.

Preparing for future failures

Power outages, although rare, can still affect all parts of the city. It is recommended to prepare for such events. stromausskoeln.de gives helpful tips: Have flashlights, candles and spare batteries ready to get through such situations. A power bank for your cell phone can also be useful in an emergency, while many people don't want to do without the essential light that makes our everyday activities easier.

Although there is an overall reliable energy supply in Cologne, technical errors and human error, as bpb.de explains, can lead to unexpected outages. Consciously dealing with such topics and good preparation can help minimize the impact on your own life. After all, any of us can suddenly be affected, and understanding neighbors are worth their weight in gold in such moments.