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Massive railway closures in 2026: Travelers in the Rhineland will have to reschedule!
In 2026, Mülheim will experience extensive railway construction sites with numerous route closures. Readers will find current information about timetable changes.
Massive railway closures in 2026: Travelers in the Rhineland will have to reschedule!
Rail travelers in the Rhineland will have to prepare for a number of challenges from next year. The year 2026 will be marked by numerous route closures that will last for a longer period of time. Loud Soester Anzeiger A comprehensive modernization offensive by Deutsche Bahn and the infrastructure operator is imminent, which will be accompanied by far-reaching adjustments to the timetable.
The first total closures will begin as early as January 2026. The route between Hürth-Kalscheuren and Gerolstein will be closed on weekends until the end of November, which affects the lines RE 12, RE 22 and RB 24. Outages are also to be expected between Aachen main station and Rheydt main station, as well as on several other routes. Particularly noteworthy is the closure between Cologne-Mülheim and Hagen main station, which will last until July 2026 and affects the RE 7 and RB 48 lines.
Business interruptions in spring and summer
There will also be significant restrictions in the spring. Between Dalheim and Mönchengladbach main station, travelers must expect a failure of the RB 34 line from March 6th to 9th, while in March the route between Euskirchen and Bad Münstereifel will also be affected, putting the S 23 out of action. Even during the summer there will be little relaxation, as from June 5th the connection between Cologne Messe/Deutz and Cologne/Bonn Airport will be closed for several days.
The railway also plans to take cost-cutting measures in the summer months. Travelers between Cologne and Düren/Aachen Hbf have to do without the RE 1, RE 9 and RB 38 lines from the end of June to the beginning of July.
New timetable from the end of 2025
But it's not just construction sites that are an issue. From December 14, 2025, a new Deutsche Bahn timetable will come into force in North Rhine-Westphalia Ruhr24 reported. This provides for some improvements: more direct connections and new ICE trains that will also travel to neighboring countries. An additional highlight are the evening ICE trips to Brussels and Frankfurt. Direct connections to Brussels Airport and Antwerp will also be added from summer 2026.
In addition, some ICE trains are planned from Münster and the Ruhr area, which will travel to Bern, Zurich, Chur and Brig. The new ICE L with step-free entry is available for travelers who want to travel to Berlin or Sylt. However, while some stops will be eliminated in East Westphalia, the entire situation is complicated by the construction work in the neighboring federal states.
Impacts far beyond NRW
The construction work and route closures will not only have local effects. In the period from February 6th to July 10th, 2026, the route between Cologne and Wuppertal will be almost completely closed, which will only allow minimal S-Bahn traffic. These diversions and cancellations are only part of the challenges that travelers can continue to face.
In 2024, around one in six trains in the region will have been stopped due to technical defects. Many travelers will have to deal with the possibility of adjusting their plans in the coming year. With all of these changes, it is to be hoped that rail passengers will ultimately benefit from the stricter measures.