Aachen-Cologne railway line: renovation starts a year earlier!

Aachen-Cologne railway line: renovation starts a year earlier!

The Aachen-Cologne railway line is facing a dramatic turnaround! Suddenly the urgently needed general renovation is brought forward by a whole year - in 2028! DB InfraGO, which acts as the infrastructure operator, delivered this news on Monday. From July to December 2028, the route will be completely closed for extensive renovation and modernization work, as never before announced!

The decision comes in the context of a radical rethink by Deutsche Bahn, which no longer wants to equip its high-performance corridors in Germany with the latest technology gradually, but in one go. Much more effective, no question, but with serious cuts for commuters who are dependent on alternative means of transport during the construction period. The complete shutdown of this important connection will have an impact on all travel traffic!

Replacement transport with comfort?

However, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) promises the affected passengers a kind of “deluxe rail replacement service”. These buses should not only be comfortably equipped - including WiFi and toilets - but also ensure a pleasant journey during the five-month lockdown. But there is a catch: the states have to bear half of the costs and are demanding more federal funding. Whether this is a solution for commuters in the chaos of the construction sites remains to be seen.

However, the reasons for the early construction work are vague. The railway points to interactions with other large projects, such as the bridge renovations in Cologne. The exact background and the real motivation behind the renovation sooner rather than later remain obscure, which raises questions among commuters. The great mystery surrounding the background to this decision has been opened! What will happen to rail transport in the coming years?