Overview
- Deutsche Bahn will shut the main Ruhr corridor in two successive phases from 4 September to 30 October 2026 to allow concentrated renewal work on the route.
- The programme covers overhead line replacement, extensive switch and bridge repairs and large track renewals including thousands of sleepers and thousands of tonnes of ballast.
- Many regional and S‑Bahn services will be suspended or rerouted with affected lines including RE1, RE2, RE3, RE6, RE11, RE42, RE44, RE49 and S1/S3, and most long‑distance stops in Duisburg and Oberhausen will be cut except for limited night or off‑peak services.
- Deutsche Bahn plans replacement‑bus services, extra station staff and reroutes to mitigate disruption but had to rework diversion plans after July inspections found damage to the Wupper bridge near Opladen on an intended alternative route.
- The Ruhr works overlap with a separate DB InfraGO corridor renovation (Lehrte–Berlin) that begins 2 October and will cause a total closure on that line through December, reflecting a wider backlog of ageing infrastructure that is forcing concentrated, disruptive work windows across Germany.