traffic - Bahn closes Frankfurt-Mannheim track for general overhaul
For the first time in Germany, an important railway line will be closed for several months to carry out extensive repairs. Starting from tonight, Monday, 23rd, at 11:00 pm, on the heavily trafficked Frankfurt-Mannheim route, nothing will be in operation. From mid-December, tracks, overhead lines, signals, switches, bridges, and train stations will be modernized. The German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) hopes that this concept will result in long-term traffic disruptions. A total of 40 heavily loaded corridors in Germany are planned for this type of major overhaul. The sections Hamburg–Berlin and Emmerich–Oberhausen are next in line for the coming year.
The Regional trains on the Frankfurt-Mannheim section, which is normally in operation, will be replaced by buses. Approximately 150 replacement buses are in use. Long-distance and freight traffic will be rerouted via parallel tracks - as a result, regional traffic will also be restricted in those areas. The closure will have effects not only in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, but also in Rhineland-Palatinate, as one of the diversionary routes is the Mainz-Worms-Ludwigshafen connection.
Passengers in long-distance traffic must adjust to journeys that are about 30 minutes longer according to the railway's statements. One-third of the train offer will be cancelled, and some stops will not be served. All changes have been integrated into the timetable and are available via the German Railways app.
The closure of the Frankfurt-Mannheim railway track for general renovation will affect not only Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, but also neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate, as one of the diversionary routes is the Mainz-Worms-Ludwigshafen connection. This extensive repair work on the heavily trafficked line, commencing tonight at 11:00 pm, will see modernization of tracks, overhead lines, signals, switches, bridges, and train stations. During this period, regional trains on the Frankfurt-Mannheim section will be replaced by buses, with approximately 150 replacement buses in use.
In addition to regional traffic being restricted, long-distance and freight traffic will be rerouted via parallel tracks in Hesse, leading to further disruptions. General Renovation of the railway track in Germany, as demonstrated by the Frankfurt-Mannheim route, is part of a larger plan to modernize 40 heavily loaded corridors across the country. The sections Hamburg–Berlin and Emmerich–Oberhausen are next in line for this type of major overhaul in the coming year, following the example set by Hesse's Regional trains.
