Bridge defect hampers service on Germany's Hagen‑Wuppertal‑Köln railway

After a five‑month, €800 million general renovation of the Hagen‑Wuppertal‑Köln corridor, Deutsche Bahn discovered damage to a load‑bearing component of a bridge in Opladen (Leverkusen) on 9 July. For safety reasons one of the two tracks was closed, leaving the line single‑track and triggering extensive cancellations and delays on long‑distance ICE services to Hanover and Berlin as well as on regional RE, RB and S‑Bahn lines.

The railway said, "Zugverkehr kann also stattfinden, aber nicht mit voller Kapazität," and rerouted trains, imposed speed limits (up to 70 km/h on the 65‑km stretch) and provided replacement buses. Some S‑Bahn routes between Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Hagen remain closed until early September for further repairs. The bridge was not part of the recent renovation, and earlier inspections had not detected the fault. The disruption affects major commuter corridors in North‑Rhine Westphalia, with passengers advised to check timetables before travel.