Deutsche Bahn starts five-month closure of right-bank Rhine line, night-time restrictions in Rhine-Main
From Friday, Deutsche Bahn closes the right-bank Rhine line between Wiesbaden and Troisdorf for five months of modernisation, while night-time works disrupt S-Bahn and regional services in the Rhine-Main area until late September.
Five-month right-bank closure
On the evening of 10 July, Deutsche Bahn switches off overhead lines and begins a five-month total closure of the 160 km right-bank Rhine line from Wiesbaden to Troisdorf. The corridor, which runs through the Rheingau and Middle Rhine Valley, will be modernised until mid-December at a cost of around 1.6 billion euros. Works include renewing roughly 80 km of track, nearly 100 km of overhead line, 160 sets of points, 10 bridges and 36 stations, as well as signalling and tunnel upgrades.
- Right-bank closure begins; night-time restrictions start in Rhine-Main area
- Rhine-Main night-time restrictions end
- Right-bank closure scheduled to end (mid-December)
Night-time restrictions in the Rhine-Main area
Simultaneously, extensive night-time construction begins on lines around Mainz, Wiesbaden and Frankfurt, lasting until 25 September. The Kostheim–Mainz-Bischofsheim section is closed nightly from 21:00 to 05:00, with further closures on the Mainz-Römisches Theater–Groß-Gerau–Mainz-Bischofsheim axis. Kelsterbach station is unusable in early September, and mid- and late-September bring additional blockades between Mainz-Bischofsheim–Rüsselsheim and Kostheim–Frankfurt-Höchst. S-Bahn lines S8, S9 and S1 suffer partial cancellations and longer interruptions, while regional lines RE2, RE3, RB10 and RB75 face diversions, cancellations and reduced frequencies.
Despite many closures, people in the Rhine-Main area remain mobile with public transport.
Replacement services and alternatives
Deutsche Bahn is running replacement buses on 13 lines, including express services between Wiesbaden, Rüdesheim and Koblenz, and between Koblenz, Bad Honnef, Bonn-Ramersdorf and Troisdorf. A half-hourly shuttle operates between Mainz and Wiesbaden. The passenger ferry “Nixe” crosses the Rhine between Erpel and Remagen, offering a link to the left-bank network. All replacement vehicles are barrier-free, have Wi-Fi and some have toilets. Timetables are available on bahn.de, the DB Navigator app and regional transport association apps; a dedicated website, bahn.de/ersatzverkehr-rechter-rhein, has been set up.
Freight and left-bank impact
Freight traffic is largely diverted to the left-bank Rhine line during the works. Deutsche Bahn says a stable basic service will be maintained there, but some restrictions on local passenger services are expected.
Level crossings and helicopter work
Several level crossings between Wiesbaden and Lorchhausen are closed for long periods because signal boxes are out of service; construction and logistics trains still use the tracks. Helicopters will be deployed during the day to install new signals and remove old ones. Residents are asked to secure balcony furniture against rotor downwash.
