Overview

• Beginning February 6, 2026, the Cologne–Wuppertal–Hagen line will close for just over five months to accommodate the comprehensive renovations.
• On the 65-kilometre stretch, Deutsche Bahn will renew tracks and switches, rehabilitate bridges and modernize twelve stations.
• During the shutdown, only limited S-Bahn services will operate while long-distance trains are rerouted and replacement buses serve regional commuters.
• The project is part of Deutsche Bahn’s €40 billion Generalsanierung program, which aims to modernize around 40 key routes by 2035 and enhance service reliability.
• Further North Rhine-Westphalia upgrades are slated to start in July 2026 on the Troisdorf–Unkel line, followed by Hagen–Unna–Hamm and Cologne–Bonn–Koblenz in 2028 and Aachen–Cologne in 2029.