Railway reactivation Bocholt-Coesfeld: Sobering study shocks citizens!

Railway reactivation Bocholt-Coesfeld: Sobering study shocks citizens!

The hoped-for reactivation of the old railway line between Bocholt and Coesfeld has produced sobering results, as was recently published. The Westphalia-Lippe Local Transport Association (NWL) commissioned a feasibility study to examine the usefulness of reactivation. Alarming figures show that five of the six sections examined have a benefit-cost index (NKI) between 0.2 and 0.7, indicating low economic viability. Only the section between Borken and Coesfeld was convincing with an NKI of 1.6, but here too there is a lack of money for implementation radiowmw.de reported.

The future of the railway line therefore remains uncertain, and this disappoints the many supporters who have been fighting for years to revive the connection. Despite individual success stories of reactivations in Westphalia, such as the connection between Gronau and Enschede, which has been successfully operated since 2001 and connects the networks in Germany and the Netherlands, the Bocholt-Coesfeld route faces financial hurdles. For example, there were numerous positive developments during the dismantling of the Almetalbahn in northern Sauerland that point to the potential of rail connections, but the markets do not seem to be ready for the Bocholt-Coesfeld route. This is also shown by the comprehensive overview of reactivations in the region provided by westfalen-regional.de is shown.