Worksite under development - Approach to Instance of Uninterrupted Traffic on Rhine Valley Railway Nearing End
Following a three-week halt, trains on the significant north-southerly route, the Rheintalbahn, will resume operation on Friday evening. This was confirmed by a representative from German Railways (DB). Based on the schedule, both long-distance and select regional trains are expected to operate seamlessly since Friday evening. However, passengers using regional services may still encounter limitations in September. Details regarding this can be found on the travel information page at www.bahn.de and the DB Navigator app. The rail authority also advises passengers to allow extra travel time and consider opting for an earlier connection if necessary.
Initiated as part of the Karlsruhe-Baden project, since August 9, the railway has been working on enhancing the Rastatt tunnel's southern connection, among other tasks. Progress on these construction works has been steady, the representative shared. "All the scheduled track adjustments were completed on time last week, and the ongoing overhead line work is also running smoothly." Advanced work on signaling and safety technology remains pending in the closing stages of the closure. The railway successfully executed a software update in the Baden-Baden control center over the weekend. After the closure, freight trains can also recommence on the Rheintalbahn, with minor deviations.
Persisting regional travel constraints
Until September 9, 5:00 AM, railway work on infrastructure in Durmersheim and Rastatt, along with control centers and switches in Rastatt and Baden-Baden will continue. Passengers on lines RE 2 and RE 7 will likely experience schedule changes such as delays and cancellations, and temporary substitution services between Karlsruhe and Offenburg. Trains on lines RE 40, RB 41, and RB 44 will be replaced by buses from Karlsruhe main station to at least Rastatt. None of the regional trains between Rastatt and Baden-Baden will operate on September 8, with buses replacing them instead.
Even afterward, limitations, cancellations, and partial cancellations will persist on S-Bahn lines 7 and 8 until September 21, as the Karlsruhe transport company announced. Passengers are advised to pay attention to the information boards at the stations. Additional information can be found online at avg.info/fahrplan/fahrplanauskunft.
Construction work to continue for years
Early on in the closure, there were difficulties with the replacement services. Insufficient bus availability led to passenger complaints about poor signage to the rail replacement. Freight trains, too, criticized the planned detour via France, saying it wasn't functioning as intended. The rail authority, however, claimed that the freight transportation bottlenecks were quickly addressed.
Over 300 daily trains, including local, long-distance, and freight, utilize this 170-year-old route, according to the rail authority. However, they admit, "The track can't handle this volume." Hence, they're constructing two additional tracks to prevent delays caused by slow-moving trains. Long-distance trains will then be capable of reaching up to 250 kilometers per hour. "This will decrease the travel time between Karlsruhe and Basel by approximately half an hour, to around 70 minutes." Construction of these two continuous tracks is slated for completion by 2035, but the overall billion-dollar expansion project for the Rheintalbahn won't be finished until 2041.
In spite of the improvements, other regional trains may still face limitations even after September 21. Passengers should be prepared for potential disruptions and consider using alternative services.
Despite the completion of track adjustments and smooth progress of overhead line work, other advanced tasks such as signaling and safety technology are yet to be finalized.
