Overview
- Deutsche Bahn halted commissioning of a new electronic signal box due to last-minute software errors the company says were not foreseeable.
- The closure runs from Friday evening until the morning of November 24, with access to the station maintained by S-Bahn and U-Bahn services.
- Many ICE trains stop at Ehrenfeld or Messe/Deutz instead of the main station, and several regional lines are rerouted with broader detours.
- A second closure will be required next year, possibly in spring, which InfraGo regional manager Matthias Gramer says will be shorter and planned around Cologne’s Karneval traffic.
- Work during the current shutdown focuses on preparing signals, switches and overhead lines, with removal of old signals expected to be handled during the follow-up closure; NRW Transport Minister Oliver Krischer sharply criticized the late change.