Deutsche Bahn starts general renovation on two railway corridors simultaneously
Deutsche Bahn started two general renovations on February 6. The Hagen–Cologne and Nuremberg–Regensburg corridors will be closed until July.
As here in Bavaria, the general renovation of further railway lines also began in North Rhine-Westphalia on Friday.
(Image: Deutsche Bahn AG / Thomas Kiewning)
Deutsche Bahn began two extensive renovation projects simultaneously on February 6, 2026. Both the Hagen–Wuppertal–Cologne corridor in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Nuremberg–Regensburg line in Bavaria will be completely closed until July 10. As DB InfraGO reports, tracks, switches, overhead lines, and stations will be fundamentally renewed over the next five months.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the railway is renewing a total of 81 kilometers of track, 50 switches, and 29 kilometers of overhead line on the approximately 65-kilometer-long route. In addition, four kilometers of new noise barriers will be installed. Twelve stations will be modernized and made barrier-free, including Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof, Solingen Hauptbahnhof, and the stations in Leichlingen, Haan-Gruiten, and Ennepetal. Work on the stations will partially continue until the end of 2027. The costs for the project amount to around 800 million euros.
In parallel, the first Bavarian corridor renovation is underway between Nuremberg and Regensburg. On this 88-kilometer-long route, which is used by more than 350 trains daily, DB InfraGO is renewing 96 kilometers of track, 74 switches, and 81 kilometers of overhead line. Additionally, two new crossovers will be created, embankments will be renovated, and a bridge near Burgthann will be modernized. The control and signaling technology will be brought up to the latest standard, with preparations already being made for the later expansion of the European Train Control System (ETCS). All 20 stations between Feucht and Regensburg-PrĂĽfening will receive a modernization with a focus on accessibility.
Massive impact on long-distance transport
The complete closures have significant consequences for travelers. Between Cologne and Dortmund, ICE trains will have to be rerouted via DĂĽsseldorf, Essen, and the Ruhr area, which will extend travel time by 20 to 30 minutes. The stations Wuppertal, Solingen, and Hagen will be completely excluded from the long-distance transport network. Regional trains such as RE7, RE49, RB48, and several S-Bahn lines will be discontinued in various phases.
On the Bavarian route, long-distance trains will run via Ingolstadt and the Danube line until June 13, leading to an extension of travel time by about an hour. Thereafter, the diversions will be reduced. The railway plans to compensate for regional transport by increasing train services on alternative routes via Schwandorf, as well as lines RB17 and RE3.
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Hundreds of replacement buses in use
To compensate for the canceled train connections, the railway is deploying massive replacement services. In North Rhine-Westphalia, up to 200 barrier-free buses with Wi-Fi will be used. In Bavaria, more than 90 buses will operate at peak times on eight different lines, covering a total of around 45,000 kilometers daily. Freight transport will also have to be rerouted on both lines.
The two current projects are part of the nationwide corridor renovation program, which originally comprised 43 route sections and has since been reduced to 40. A total of 1500 kilometers of the rail network are to be completely renovated by 2027. The Hagen–Wuppertal–Cologne corridor is the second of ten planned renovations in North Rhine-Westphalia, while Nuremberg–Regensburg represents the first of seven Bavarian corridor renovations.
Deutsche Bahn is investing well over 23 billion euros in the rail network in 2026, according to its own figures – a significant increase compared to 19 billion euros in the previous year. As the already completed renovation of the Riedbahn has shown, such general renovations can improve punctuality in local transport by up to 20 percent and reduce delays by about a third.
Critics, however, complain that while the renovations stabilize the infrastructure, they do not create additional capacity. The fundamental problems of the overloaded rail network are not solved by mere renewal measures. Nevertheless, the general renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin line is on schedule, giving hope that the railway can implement its ambitious construction plans.
(mki)
