The launch of a major renovation of the right bank Rhine railway line between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden, in Germany, will bring rail traffic in both directions to a halt until mid-December 2026.
DB InfraGO, the German rail infrastructure manager, was scheduled to begin the work on 10 July. It is part of an extensive programme aimed at the long-term modernisation and stabilisation of one of Europe’s most important rail corridors.
During the closure, freight traffic on the western north-south corridor will be largely rerouted via the left bank Rhine railway line and, in some cases, via the Siegen-Haiger-Frankfurt corridor, multi-modal freight transport operator Contargo noted in a service update to customers.
Due to the longer routes, additional operational requirements and increased network utilisation, longer transit times are to be expected, it warned.
In order to accommodate the additional freight traffic on the diversion routes, local passenger services on these alternative routes will be reduced. Nevertheless, exceptionally high route capacity utilisation is expected both on the left bank Rhine railway line and on the diversion routes via Siegen.
Other construction projects
The operational challenges will be further intensified by additional infrastructure works across the German rail network. These include, among others, extensive restrictions in the Fulda area between 11 July and 30 July, which will require further diversions. As a result, the number of available alternative routes as well as the operational reserve capacities within the network will be reduced.
“In a highly interconnected European rail system, even minor disruptions or capacity bottlenecks can affect numerous transport chains. Against this background, increased operational complexity must be expected throughout the entire construction period. Delays or even cancellations cannot therefore be ruled out,” Contargo underlined.
Affected train services
The restrictions will directly affect Contargo’s services on the following routes: Rotterdam/Antwerp-Basel; Rotterdam/Antwerp-Weil am Rhein; Rotterdam-Wörth; Rotterdam-Mannheim; Rotterdam/Antwerp-Frankfurt/Main; and Duisburg-Pomezia.
Longer transit times and reduced operational flexibility are to be expected during the periods of construction work, it pointed out.
Contingency measures
To mitigate the expected restrictions as effectively as possible, Contargo said it has carried out extensive preparations together with its partners. These include intensified monitoring of transport operations; continuous coordination with traction providers and the affected terminals; and ongoing adjustment of transport planning to the current operational situation.
“Despite intensive preparation by all parties involved, many effects will only become apparent during ongoing operations. Additional obstacles affecting the direct and indirect infrastructure, short-term capacity bottlenecks and further operational restrictions cannot currently be completely ruled out,” Contargo added.
