Cologne Central Station: Ten days of complete closure for the new signal box!

Cologne Central Station: Ten days of complete closure for the new signal box!

A major conversion project is underway: Cologne Central Station will be completely closed from November 14th to 24th. During these ten days, the second construction phase of the new signal box will take place, which is intended to modernize the railway infrastructure around Cologne. As Express reports, the full closure begins on Friday, November 14th, at 9 p.m. and ends on Monday, November 24th, at 9 a.m. This need for a complete closure means significant restrictions for travelers and requires targeted diversions in regional and long-distance traffic.

As Deutsche Bahn explains in its press release, diversions for various train connections are already planned. Among other things, ICE trains will not stop at Cologne Central Station during this time. The RE5 regional train line will also be rerouted via Neuss, which will result in no stops in cities such as Cologne and Düsseldorf.

Important work and upcoming changes

The modernization not only includes the signal box itself, but also a comprehensive change in technology. The first construction stage to convert S-Bahn traffic was completed at the end of 2021. There are now many new developments: During the closure, over 217 signals will be removed and 53 new signals will be installed. In recent years, a total of 176 new signals have been set up and 208 kilometers of cable laid, as well as eleven new signal bridges and two switches renewed, according to Deutsche Bahn. This work is part of an investment program worth around 360 million euros, which also includes future modernizations in Cologne-Mülheim, Bonn Bad Godesberg and other train stations.

The completion and commissioning of the new, modern signal box in Cologne central station on November 24th is a central point of this project. From November 14th, the new technology will be tested and integrated into the central signal box so that the new control center can ultimately control around 1,300 trains daily. The aim of these extensive measures is to make train traffic more reliable and robust, which, according to Reiner Krieger, Head of Operations at DB InfraGO in Cologne, is of great importance.

Impact on train traffic

The impact on train traffic should not be underestimated. Longer journey times, canceled stops and diversions will burden travelers during the closure. Extensive diversions and partial cancellations are to be expected, particularly on lines RE 1, RE 5, RE 6, RE 7, RE 8, RE 9, RE 22, RB 24, RB 26, RB 27, RB 38 and RB 48. In addition, on individual nights, such as the night of November 19th to 20th, there will be complete closures of the S-Bahn tracks, which will make travel more difficult for many commuters. Rail replacement services are only used sporadically and additional service staff are available to support travelers. However, detailed timetable changes will only be published two weeks before work begins.

Overall, it shows that Deutsche Bahn has ambitious plans to bring the infrastructure in the Cologne region up to date. The financial resources and careful preparations are crucial factors for the success of these modernizations, as the statistics on Deutsche Bahn's annual investments make clear. Figures that show the development and major challenges of the railway are also available via Statista.