Gerolstein train station shines after renovation - but where are the trains?

Gerolstein train station shines after renovation - but where are the trains?

The Gerolstein train station has experienced comprehensive modernization and renovation in recent months. However, these improvements are in the shade of the continuing problems of the rail connections in the region. According to Volksfreund , travelers cannot use the fresh facilities, since since the devastating flood disaster no train connections to Gerolstein in July 2021 consist. In 2023 there were temporary connections, which could only be maintained for a few months due to the electrification work.

Currently, travelers rely on replacement buses that drive from Trier to Gerolstein. Travelers from Cologne must also travel to Euskirchen by train before switching to a bus to Gerolstein. These circumstances strain not only the commuters, but also the entire region, which is severely affected by the traffic isolation. An end of these restrictions is currently not in sight.

progress in reconstruction

Despite the difficult situation, the restoration of the rail connection from Trier-Ehrang via Gerolstein to Cologne is being used. As gerolstein.de , the work is to be completed by summer 2023. Ulrike Ludewig, project manager of the railway, has announced that the work is in the final phase. In particular, the section between Gerolstein and Nettersheim is affected by final reconstruction work.

After trains go from Trier to Gerolstein again almost two years after the flood, it is important to emphasize that the consistent connections to Cologne will only be available after the electrification work has been completed. The electrification of the Eifel route, which began at the end of May 2023, is a complex undertaking. There are 300 kilometers of new driving wire and extensive adjustments to tracks, soft and bridges.

future prospects of electrification

The technical requirements for electrification are ambitious. According to the plans, twelve tunnel structures must be adapted to the new circumstances to make room for the electric trains and the overhead lines. Around 280 kilometers of cables and 70 kilometers of cable ducts are laid for the power supply. In order to modernize the high number of bridges and throughlets, 170 structural renovations and adjustments of 24 level crossings are planned.

The project provides for constructing bridges without a center pillar to minimize the risk of flooding. Legal exemptions should make it possible to make the work more efficient and to promote electrification. Deutsche Bahn plans the construction of ten railway current systems on the Eifel route to ensure the power supply. Currently there is no train connections between Gerolstein and Kall by June 2025, and it remains to be seen when the situation will finally stabilize.

The situation in Gerolstein illustrates the challenges that many rail projects are facing in Germany. In the area of ​​the region, parallel projects will be partially planned by 2035, such as the electrification of various routes, including the important connection to Euskirchen.