Karlsruhe closes light rail tunnel for major maintenance

The light rail tunnel in Karlsruhe, Germany, is completely closed from October 24 to October 31 to facilitate extensive maintenance and repair work. This represents the most significant maintenance operation since the tunnel's completion in 2021, involving approximately 35 different companies and specialized departments.

Project leader Nico Bornemann stated that the works are currently on schedule. The maintenance includes urgent track repairs, such as replacing switch components and drives, as well as grinding rails, inspecting overhead lines, and repairing vandalism damage. To ensure efficiency, crews are working around the clock, with roughly 80 employees on duty during the day and up to 15 at night.

The closure affects several key underground stations, including Marktplatz, Europaplatz, and Ettlinger Tor. Numerous lines, including S1, S11, S2, S4, S5, S51, S52, S7, and S8, are being diverted to surface routes. Some services, such as line 5, are completely suspended, while replacement buses are operating on certain routes to assist commuters.