Deutsche Bahn halts regional lines, diverts ICEs as Fulda junction upgrade adds 60 minutes to journeys
Regional trains cancelled, long-distance ICEs on 60-minute detours, and multiple stations skipped as the Fulda junction upgrade collides with other major works.
Construction at the Fulda rail junction is disrupting long-distance and regional train services across Germany until 27 July. Deutsche Bahn (DB) said the switch renewal works were added to an already busy construction schedule, which includes corridor works on the Rhine line and the Mainz node. The result is a cascade of cancellations, detours and bus replacements affecting both ICE high-speed routes and regional lines.
Regional services: cancellations and bus replacements
Between Hanau and Fulda, cancelled journeys are switched to buses. The RE50 and RE5 lines are suspended on the Fulda–Bad Hersfeld/Bebra stretch without alternative transport. On the RB5, two weekday morning departures from Fulda at 05:46 and 06:46 are cancelled. The RT5 service between Melsungen and Kassel now runs only once per hour. RB41 trips starting or ending in Kirchhain are replaced by buses from Monday to Friday. RB97 is suspended between Cölbe and Marburg, although a handful of peak-time trains still reach Marburg. RB49 operates every 60 minutes on the Friedberg–Hanau segment, with missing runs covered by buses. RB56 between Kahl (Main) and Hanau is mostly cancelled except for a few peak services.
Long-distance detours and frequency cuts
Three main ICE corridors are impacted. On the Frankfurt–Kassel–Hamburg axis, DB will run only one-third of its usual long-distance trains, at minimum a two-hourly interval, and all trips will follow a diverted route between Frankfurt and Kassel. The detour adds 60 minutes to the published journey time. On the Frankfurt–Berlin line via Fulda and either Kassel or Erfurt, ICE trains switch from hourly to two-hourly service, with a 60-minute extra travel time and a diversion between Frankfurt and Fulda. The Wiesbaden–Frankfurt–Fulda–Erfurt–Leipzig–Dresden route is diverted between Frankfurt and Erfurt via Aschaffenburg and Würzburg, skipping Fulda, Bad Hersfeld, Eisenach and Gotha entirely. Travel time rises by about 60 minutes, and some Frankfurt–Wiesbaden services are cancelled.
Short-notice switch renewal collides with other works
The switch renewals in Fulda had to be scheduled at short notice and are therefore taking place in addition to already planned major construction projects, such as the corridor renovation of the right bank Rhine line between Wiesbaden and Cologne and work at the Mainz node.
Travellers told to check digital channels
DB advises passengers to check their connection on bahn.de or the DB Navigator app before departure. Timetable updates and last-minute changes are posted in real time there, the company said.
