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Rail chaos in Cologne: Defective signal box causes massive disruptions!
Train traffic in Cologne was severely disrupted on October 15, 2025. Defective signal boxes cause delays and cancellations in regional and S-Bahn traffic.
Rail chaos in Cologne: Defective signal box causes massive disruptions!
On Tuesday afternoon, October 15, 2025, train traffic in and around Cologne will be massively disrupted. The reason for this is a defective signal box in Cologne-Kalk, which caused chaos on the tracks from 1 p.m. Reports from Express show that regional transport in particular and almost all S-Bahn lines are severely affected.
At Cologne Central Station and on several routes, travelers can expect massive delays and numerous train cancellations. The situation is particularly critical between Cologne-Messe/Deutz and Troisdorf, where there is currently no train. Technicians are on site and working on the repair, but there is noise zuginfo.nrw still no prospect of a quick solution.
Travelers have to reschedule
This results in some changes for travelers. Trains on the RE 8 line from the direction of Mönchengladbach turn around in Köln Messe/Deutz, while the RE 9 and RB 27 lines between Cologne-Ehrenfeld and Troisdorf are diverted in both directions without stopping. The RB 25 from Gummersbach only has traffic as far as Cologne Frankfurter Straße before it continues to Cologne Hansaring with partial cancellations. Short-term changes and further cancellations are to be expected on the S-Bahn lines S 6, S 11, S 12 and S 19.
Such traffic problems are not uncommon in North Rhine-Westphalia. A look at the WDR Data shows that in 2024 the majority of regional and S-Bahn lines via Cologne, Düsseldorf or Essen had a delay rate of over 33 percent. Over 20 million train kilometers were canceled, marking an increase of 26 percent compared to the previous year. Short-term absences are usually due to staff shortages, which also represent a problem in a third.
Construction work is making the situation worse
The current problems add to the already tense situation on rail transport. Loud 24rhine Travelers in North Rhine-Westphalia must expect further disruptions due to extensive construction work in the next few months, which will significantly affect train traffic. Complete closures on important train routes lasting several months are planned from 2025 to 2030.
The S6 route between Ratingen-Hösel and Essen-Kettwig has been closed since January 2025, while other construction sites in Hagen and other regions are also causing disruptions. A solution to the current problems is therefore urgently needed in order to avoid further burdening passengers and to restore smooth train operations.