Long-distance traffic will be completely diverted via the Beuel and Siegburg stations on the right bank of the Rhine. It promises to increase capacity and flexibility "for reliable rail traffic".

Yesterday, staff with red DB waistcoats were standing on the platform to give information. One employee reported that it was very busy at times. "But the passengers are friendly and very relaxed," she said. The large information board in the entrance hall showed: Only regional trains still stop at the main station. Long-distance travellers from Bonn will have to commute to Beuel station during the construction phase with tram line 62, which runs between Dottendorf and Oberkassel.

Deutsche Bahn will be working on various construction sites in parallel over the coming weeks. The agenda includes track and switch renewal in the Cologne area and noise protection and platform work between Cologne and Koblenz, as well as the construction of new electronic interlockings, among others in Mehlem. On the section between Bonn main station and Bad Godesberg-Nord, there will also be civil engineering work. The construction site is moving along a length of about 18 kilometres from Bonn to Oberwinter.

In order to minimise the impact of the construction work on passengers and residents, DB is bundling as many individual projects as possible and is primarily making use of the night hours, according to DB. While long-distance trains will be completely diverted, the impact on regional traffic will vary depending on the connection.

Original text: Stefan János Wágner / Translation: Jean Lennox