Finally direct trains again: Gießen-Köln could become a reality!

Finally direct trains again: Gießen-Köln could become a reality!

After more than a decade without a direct train connection between Gießen and Cologne, passenger representatives require a restoration of this important connection. Since 2010, travelers have had to switch to this route in Siegen, which often leads to short -term transfer times of only five minutes. This is particularly problematic because the RE 99 is overcrowded in crucial places, as Thomas Kraft emphasizes from the Pro Bahn Middle Hesse passenger association. He warns of the difficulties associated with the short transfer times in victories, in particular at peak times, and pleads to restore the direct connection that existed for over 150 years, the Tagesschau .

Since the direct connection was deleted in 2009, there have been numerous problems for the commuters between the two cities. The Gießen passenger advisory board has now submitted an urgency application to advance the return of a continuous train connection. The topics in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate have already announced their support. From 2026, the introduction of new trains and the elimination of Intercity Line 34 could improve the situation, since it currently disrupts the timing of the RE 99, explains Christoph Mehler, a traffic geographer of the local transport network Westfalen-Lippe (NWL). It is planned to adapt the RE 9, which currently run from Aachen via Cologne to Siegen, to the new concepts to the number of commuter numbers, such as the Gießener Anzeiger reported.

In order to promote the revitalization of this connection, numerous hurdles must be overcome, in particular the provision of additional vehicles and ensuring financing. The Hessian Minister of Economy has made it clear that the expansion of the offer depends on the financial framework. As long as there is no clarity about the financial resources, the specific time remains when travelers can get to Cologne again without changing trains, but uncertain