In brief
A truck hit a railway bridge in Essen-Frillendorf on 24 July 2026, causing structural damage that led to an immediate line closure.
Deutsche Bahn closed the Essen–Gelsenkirchen section, rerouting RE2 and RE42 via Essen-Altenessen, terminating RE42 at Wanne-Eickel and S2 at Essen-Kray Nord, and establishing bus replacement.
The line reopened on 25 July, but speed restrictions remain on the affected section, causing delays and partial cancellations for RE2 and RE42.
On Saturday afternoon, the S2 was no longer listed as affected by the disruption, indicating its suspension may have ended.
- 24 JulTruck collides with railway bridge in Essen-Frillendorf
- 24 JulDeutsche Bahn closes the Essen–Gelsenkirchen line, detours and bus replacement set up
- 25 JulLine reopens but speed restrictions cause delays and partial cancellations on RE2 and RE42
What caused the damage
On the afternoon of 24 July 2026, a truck struck a railway bridge in the Essen-Frillendorf district. The police confirmed the collision, which left the bridge structurally compromised. The exact extent of the damage was not immediately disclosed. The WAZ newspaper first reported the accident that triggered the subsequent rail disruption.
Immediate service changes on Friday evening
Deutsche Bahn reacted by closing the line between Essen Hauptbahnhof and Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof on Friday evening. Three regional services were affected: the RE2, RE42 and S-Bahn line S2. Trains on the RE2 and RE42 were diverted via Essen-Altenessen between Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg, skipping all intermediate stops on the normal route. The RE42 service from Münster was terminated at Wanne-Eickel Hauptbahnhof, while the S2 from Dortmund ended its journey at Essen-Kray Nord. Between Gelsenkirchen and Essen main stations, a bus replacement service was set up. At that point, DB stated it was unclear when the line could reopen.
Saturday reopening and ongoing speed limits
By Saturday afternoon, the closure had been lifted, according to the regional transport portal zuginfo.nrw. Normal routing resumed, but trains are still forced to travel at reduced speed in the affected section. The portal reported for the RE2 and RE42:
“Die Züge fahren im betroffenen Bereich langsamer. In der Folge kommt es zu Verspätungen und Teilausfällen.”
The S2 service was no longer listed as disrupted on Saturday afternoon, suggesting that its earlier suspension may have been partly or fully resolved, though no formal confirmation was given.
What comes next
Deutsche Bahn has not yet published a timeline for fully restoring normal operations. The bridge must undergo structural assessment and possible repairs before speed restrictions can be removed. Until then, passengers on the RE2 and RE42 between Essen and Gelsenkirchen should expect delays and some cancellations.