Overview
- Experts uncovered a software error in the new electronic interlocking that blocks required integration and safety testing, halting commissioning during the current shutdown.
- All long‑distance and regional trains will bypass Cologne Central Station from 14 November at 21:00 to 24 November at 05:00, while S‑Bahn services continue as they are controlled separately.
- DB says a second full closure will be needed to bring the new system online, with timing complicated by a five‑month renovation of the Köln–Wuppertal–Hagen corridor starting February 2026.
- During the ten‑day closure, many ICE services use substitute stops such as Köln‑Ehrenfeld or Köln Messe/Deutz and multiple regional lines are rerouted; passengers are advised to check apps for alternatives.
- Cologne’s hub handles about 1,300 trains a day, and DB has invested roughly €360 million in three new electronic interlockings around the node to improve reliability once commissioned.