North Rhine-Westphalia sees school starts and major rail works

North Rhine-Westphalia is experiencing a busy transition period marked by the start of the new school year and major railway infrastructure projects.

Approximately 2.5 million students, including 170,000 first-graders, have returned to school. Education Minister Dorothee Feller has emphasized a return to handwriting in primary schools to improve literacy. Concurrently, authorities are focusing on school zone safety, with 93 designated 'school streets' currently in use to protect children from traffic.

In the transport sector, Deutsche Bahn has launched extensive construction projects across the region, particularly impacting the Ruhr area. Major works between Duisburg, Essen, and Oberhausen will cause significant disruptions, including reduced service and replacement buses, lasting through October. Other affected areas include the Hagen–Siegen line and sections near Mönchengladbach and Wuppertal.

Additionally, various local authorities are expanding their workforce. The Borken district police received 48 new officers, and Münster welcomed 252 new police trainees for dual studies. The city of Wuppertal also reported the start of 27 new trainees within its administration.