State railway line 18: Restrictions through construction work on Wiener Platz!

State railway line 18: Restrictions through construction work on Wiener Platz!

The anticipation for summer is noticeable in Cologne, but at the same time the commuters will not be easy for the commuters to the new traffic situations from June 14th. From this date, the light rail line 18 is shortened on the right bank of the Rhine, such as ksta.de . The reason for the restrictions are track construction work on Wiener Platz, which will continue until July 13th. The trains will only run between "Thielenbruch" and "Buchheim Herler Straße".

For the route between Buchheim and Wiener Platz, public transport is supported by the replacement bus 113, which runs every ten minutes. The travel time from Buchheim to Wiener Platz is about 13 minutes. On the way back, the commuters need about eight minutes. In the future, the delayed construction work on the Mülheim bridge could affect all traffic planning. Like 24rhein.de Bridge to an expected 302 million euros, which blows up the previously calculated 164 million euros. This work is delayed by 2026.

renovation and traffic adjustments

The Mülheim bridge has been in the renovation for years, a process that now takes longer than originally planned. These comprehensive work, which had started three years ago, have already led to traffic disruptions several times. The City Council of Cologne is expected to approve the additional cost estimate in May.

Particularly affected by the construction work are the lines of Cologne's traffic companies (KVB), above all the line 18. The use of replacement bus lines, such as bus 118, which connects the two Rhine sides between Wiener Platz and Neusser Strasse, remains. But it is not possible to redirect bus 118 because the bridge renovation is funded by the federal and state governments.

progress and challenges

The city administration informed the transport committee on the progress of the construction work on March 18, 2025. Numerous work has already been carried out in the second construction phase in the light rail area. So the tracks were laid on the entire bridge train, but they still have to be attached and adjusted before commissioning.

The cracks in the end crossers, which now have no danger to stability, are both observed and carefully analyzed daily. The affected camps must first be repaired before the actual light rail rails can be installed. A reliable date for recovery is currently uncertain.

commuter from Sülz to Dellbrück have to adjust to changing routes. After the tram 18 to Ebertplatz, you have to switch to bus 118 and then get back to Line 113 to Wiener Platz and finally move back to the light rail. It won't be easy, but the city and the KVB do everything possible to make the change as smoothly as possible. In the meantime, rail replacement traffic to the final commissioning remains to enable Cologne to continue mobility.