Deutsche Bahn to Reopen Cologne‑Hagen Railway Line in July After Five‑Month Shutdown

Deutsche Bahn plans to resume train services on the Cologne‑Wuppertal‑Hagen route in North Rhine‑Westphalia on the evening of 10 July, ending a full closure that began in February. About 90 % of the track and overhead lines have already been replaced, and project manager Arno Jaeger said the goal is a timely reopening for passengers.

During the shutdown roughly 200 replacement buses have been operating, with a mix of express services and local routes, though travellers have reported frequent traffic jams. Since mid‑June, parallel S‑Bahn tracks between Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Hagen have been back in service, providing limited relief. The line’s modernization is the largest rail construction effort in NRW, and once completed the route is expected to be more reliable with fewer delays. The next major rail overhaul is scheduled for July 2026 on the Troisdorf‑Wiesbaden corridor.