Cologne plans mega tunnel: Does the new light rail building revolutionize mobility?

Cologne plans mega tunnel: Does the new light rail building revolutionize mobility?

On April 3, 2025, the Cologne city council made the decision in an intensive debate to build a 2.6 kilometer long tunnel between Heumarkt and Aachener Weiher. This crucial step was enforced by an alliance of the SPD, CDU and FDP and promises a significant improvement in public transport infrastructure in Cologne. The city council has commissioned the city administration to deepen the planning and apply for the necessary funding from the federal and state governments in order to implement the ambitious project.

The planning also provides for the construction of three new underground stops on Neumarkt, Rudolfplatz and Moltkestrasse. It is planned to start a competition for the architectural design of these stops. However, there will be no underground branch for line 9; The stop at Neumarkt will only have two tracks. The approved planning costs amount to 61 million euros, while the estimated total costs of the project amount to 1.06 billion euros. The city hopes for a funding rate of up to 90 % by the federal and state governments to master the financing challenges.

Details on planning status and time frame

The project is currently in the second of a total of nine performance phases, preliminary planning. In order to secure the necessary funding, the city must register in the public transport requirement plan by July 31. Then there is the commissioning of a design planning, followed by the approval and execution planning. The final construction decision depends on a more precise cost estimate, but the exact time frame for the construction period and the actual start of the tunnel construction have so far been uncertain.

Experiences from other cities, such as Düsseldorf, suggest that the completion process can take a long time. The construction of a similar project has taken 16.5 years there. The tunnel construction project in Cologne could also be influenced by the upcoming local elections in autumn, since the city council still has to take the construction decision. Any excitement about the financial and political aspects is clearly noticeable, especially in view of the demands of the Greens after a citizens' survey and the legal steps of the left.

extension and future perspectives

The planned tunnel connection should not only relieve inner -city traffic, but also extend in the long term to Deutz and the Melaten cemetery. In a further step, metrolinia are planned to keep less often to offer a better connection for all districts and the surrounding area. In its meeting, the city council also decided to examine the introduction of these metrolinia through a feasibility study. Despite the positive plans, however, uncertainties regarding the funding from the state government, which has indicated a re -evaluation of the projects.

These developments show that the city of Cologne is on the way to create a more modern and efficient transport infrastructure. Nevertheless, the coming months have to be waited to see how political conditions and funding negotiations will develop. However, the anticipation for the future tunnel and the associated improvements remains high for many citizens.