Because Deutsche Bahn (DB) is renewing its rail network, there will be a complete closure on the important ICE route from July 16th to August 16th. There are said to be significant delays for travelers between Siegburg/Bonn and Frankfurt Stadium.
This involves regular repair work that is required after certain intervals. The route had to be closed due to the use of special machines. The exact construction schedule is currently being drawn up, said the spokesman. The aim is to present the traffic concept for the construction period at the beginning of May at the latest.
Travelers are already informed of longer departure times when booking. And the delays are significant! Travelers stopping in Siegburg now need an average of around an hour for the Cologne-Frankfurt am Main route (without changing trains). The ICE 123 does it in 70 minutes, the ICE 901 in 84 minutes. Passengers then have to change through the construction site and take the bus, according to the railway’s travel advice in the app. The journey time almost triples to over 3 hours and 30 minutes.
If the journey with an ICE Sprinter between Frankfurt Central Station and Cologne Messe/Deutz takes around 1 hour and 3 minutes in regular operation, the journey time on July 18th will be around 2 hours 45 minutes.
Travelers must expect more stops, longer waiting times and train cancellations. It is advisable to reserve seats for this time. Because the railway can reroute trains. Alternatively, there are ICE connections via Bonn, Koblenz and Mainz. However, this route is considered congested.
Massive restrictions for travelers in Frankfurt
Frankfurt will be affected by another construction project this summer. From July 15th to December 14th, the Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim will be completely renovated. Deutsche Bahn then wants to modernize all systems on the approximately 70 kilometer long route.
The railway currently lists 16 major construction sites in long-distance transport. In four cases, construction work has already begun.
The routes affected are:
- Erfurt and Eisenach, from August 2nd to November 24th, 2024
- Frankfurt and Mannheim (Riedbahn), from July 15th to December 14th, 2024
- Halle (Saale) and Berlin, from May 2nd to May 9th, 2024
- Hamburg and Berlin, from August 17th to December 14th, 2024
- Hamburg and Schwerin, from August 4th to November 22nd, 2024
- Hamburg and Schwerin, from April 30th to May 17th, 2024
- Hamm and Hagen, from October 19th to December 14th, 2024
- Karlsruhe and Freiburg, 1 from August 0 to 30, 2024
- Cologne and Frankfurt, from July 16th to August 16th, 2024
- Kassel and Fulda, from May 26th to June 6th, 2024
- Stuttgart node, from July 27th to September 6th, 2024
- Stuttgart and Zurich, from May 14th to May 31st, 2024
The construction sites between the route section:
- Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, (until July 18, 2024),
- Kassel and Göttingen (until May 26, 2024),
- Frankfurt and Fulda (until June 6, 2024) and
- Frankfurt and Heidelberg (until May 26, 2024),
have already started.
What rights do I have if the train is late due to construction work?
In the event of delays due to railway construction sites in Germany, you could be entitled to compensation under passenger rights. Here are the basic rules:
- From 60 minutes delay: You are entitled to compensation of 25 percent of the fare for the affected one-way journey.
- From 120 minutes delay: The compensation increases to 50 percent of the fare.
FOCUS online advises: To apply for compensation, keep all travel documents and submit a passenger rights form to Deutsche Bahn, which can also be found online on the Deutsche Bahn website.
If a significant delay defeats the purpose of your trip, you may be able to return your ticket and receive a full refund of the fare.