Railway service in Ruhr area faces multi-week shutdown

Renovation Works Affect Long-Distance Train Connections in the Ruhr Region

Renovation works on the main railway lines through the Ruhr region, near Bochum, are set to cause disruptions to both local and long-distance train services for seven weeks starting from Saturday evening, September 5.

The works, carried out by DB InfraGO (a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn), are part of the corridor renovations and include track replacement, track bed and point stabilization, and preparation for the expansion of the RRX line from Cologne to Dortmund in the Bochum city area.

Due to these renovations, long-distance train connections via Essen to northern Germany will be partially unavailable. The ICE from Basel to Hamburg will be affected, with diversions and replacement buses used on the line between Essen, Wattenscheid, Bochum, and Dortmund. Long-distance trains between Dortmund and Essen, as well as between Dortmund and Cologne and Düsseldorf, will also be diverted.

On the RE 6, trains between Essen and Dortmund will be cancelled, and the RE 1 between Dortmund and Essen will be diverted via Herne, with stops at Wattenscheid and Bochum cancelled. On the RE 11, stops between Dortmund and Duisburg will be omitted.

Journey times for long-distance trains between Dortmund and Essen will be extended by 20 minutes due to diversions. No long-distance trains will stop at Bochum Central Station. Trains from Düsseldorf and Kassel will terminate in Oberhausen and Dortmund respectively.

The line from Essen to Bochum will be closed from September 5 (21:00) to October 31 (21:00). The S1 between Essen and Dortmund and the S2 between Essen and Gelsenkirchen will operate with altered departure times.

Passengers are advised to check their connections according to the railway company's recommendations for long-distance train travel. Specific start dates for the Bochum area project are not detailed in the available information, but major corridor renovations are underway with ongoing planning for projects in 2026 and 2027.

It's important to note that the ICE from Basel to Hamburg will be affected by the partial unavailability of long-distance train connections via Essen. On the RE 6, trains between Essen and Dortmund will be cancelled, and diversions and replacement buses will be used on the line between Essen, Wattenscheid, Bochum, and Dortmund.

Passengers are encouraged to plan their journeys accordingly and check their connections to avoid any inconvenience. The railway company's recommendations should be followed to ensure a smooth travel experience during this period of renovation works.