- Upcoming railway construction-related shutdowns on the Lower Rhine region.
Due to the expansions of the tracks between Emmerich and Oberhausen, becoming a three-track system, commuters traveling between the Lower Rhine and the Ruhr region will experience significant constraints once again, for a duration of one and a half years. An 80-week "construction intensive phase" is scheduled, with major focus on Voerde-Friedrichsfeld and Wesel on the Lower Rhine. This phase is expected to take place from November of this year up until mid-May 2026, as announced by project manager Stefan Ventzke on Thursday.
Full closures with substitute bus services will occur in November of this year, July, August, and late October 2025, as well as at the completion of the project in April and May 2026. During the remaining time, single-track traffic will be allowed on the route, according to Ventzke. Affected connections include Wesel-Oberhausen (RE5, RE49), Oberhausen-Arnheim (RE19), and Duisburg-Oberhausen (RE44).
Ventzke acknowledged that this project would pose challenges for passengers and residents. However, the 80-week intensive construction period does signal a "much-needed milestone in the expansion." The railway has engaged in talks with transportation companies and the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR). "The concerns over crowded buses in replacement traffic have been noted," Ventzke said.
The heart of the work rests on the new construction of the railway bridge over the Wesel-Datteln Canal in Wesel, where the new bridge must be built 1.5 meters higher to satisfy shipping requirements. The railway is building a temporary station in Voerde-Friedrichsfeld and is intensively working on tracks, noise protection walls, bridges, and infrastructure throughout the entire 73-kilometer route, as Ventzke indicated.
Ventzke estimated that 500 to 600 million euros will be invested during the 80-week duration. The completion of the project in May 2026, however, will merely represent an intermediate stage of the major project. The Emmerich-Oberhausen route forms a crucial part of the important goods traffic route from Rotterdam to Genoa. The railway aims that the three-track expansion of the previously double-track route, along with an extensive modernization, will not only boost efficiency in goods traffic but attract more customers in local transportation.
The planned construction intensive phase will significantly impact the Railway between Emmerich and Oberhausen, causing full closures in November of this year and various other months. Due to these closures, alternative transport options like substitute bus services will be necessary for commuters utilizing the RE5, RE49, RE19, and RE44 lines.
