Major construction work on the railway between Cologne and Bonn has made it impossible to use the double-decker multiple-unit trains of the RE5. Instead, trains of the Mittelrheinbahn are being used, but these are short, to the annoyance of many railway customers, and over the past few days there have been massive complaints from rail customers about the stretch of railway between Bonn and Remagen. Keeping a distance is impossible in the overcrowded trains.

Faced with this and other complaints, Dennis Klees of the SPNV-Nord says at the request of the General-Anzeiger: "The replacement services on the RE5 line between Bonn and Koblenz, which are connected with the major construction site on the left bank of the Rhine between Bonn and Cologne, can unfortunately only be carried out by trans regio with a Mittelrheinbahn vehicle (single traction), because the company's other vehicles are needed for MittelrheinBahn transport services itself. Due to the total closure between Cologne and Bonn, the double-decker multiple-unit trains of the RRX (RE5) can no longer reach the southern section of the line between Bonn and Koblenz.

Due to passenger complaints, the SPNV would have reacted as early as the end of July and doubled the capacity of the above-mentioned trips at least during the morning rush hour (Koblenz main station from 6.16 a.m. and from 7.16 a.m.). "We have asked the transport company again for the current occupancy figures of the RB26 and the replacement RE5. On average, 33 per cent of the seats are occupied, but in peak times, up to 89 percent are occupied”. Klees admits that "criticism of the transport services' customer communication is also justified, as there are indeed deficits in the timetable information on www.bahn.de and in the displays at the stations". With regard to the problems in the implementation of the RE5 replacement services between Koblenz and Bonn and the necessary improvements in customer communication, the SPNV is "already in close contact with trans regio and Deutsche Bahn".

The aim is "to learn from current experience in any case". This is especially true with regard to the planning of replacement services for future construction sites on the left bank of the Rhine.

(Original text, Günther Schmitt)

The city of Bonn is continuing the installation of bicycle parking facilities. This week, the Beuel district council decided on additional locations where a total of 46 bicycles can be left. In the Combahnviertel, five bike stands will be set up on Combahnstraße and Kaiser-Konrad-Straße. Two bicycles can be attached to each of the stands. In Beuel-Mitte, four stands will be erected in Limpericher Straße and in Oberkassel a total of 14 stands will be erected, eight in Buschhof/Jakobstraße and six at the Old Town Hall in Königswinterer Straße. The total costs amount to 11,800 euros.

The aim of the bicycle parking programme is to create possibilities to park bicycles safely throughout the whole area. The proposed locations are based on suggestions from the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), from citizens, and on investigations by the city administration and the Beuel district council.

The Beuel district council commissioned the administration to examine additional bicycle parking facilities at Beuel train station and at the Limperich, Küdinghoven, Ramersdorf and Oberkassel-Süd stops. Furthermore, it is to be examined whether the bicycle parking garage behind Beuel town hall, which is planned within the framework of the "Emission-free city centre" funding project, can also be given an additional floor for the bicycles of city employees.

(Original text, Holger Willcke)

Again this weekend, the Bonn police supported by public order officers continued to control both banks of the Rhine on Friday evening. About 60 officers were present on Friday from about 10 p.m. on the banks of the Rhine, after civilian officers had patrolled the area in the city. Until about 2 a.m., 62 people were checked and 36 people were banned from the area. In several cases, the emergency services found small amounts of narcotics during the checks.

At about 11 p.m., officers stopped and checked a motorist driving a Mercedes aggressively on the Erzberg bank. During this inspection, modifications to the vehicle were found, which would lead to the invalidation of the license and the vehicle was secured for further investigation. The driver’s behaviour is attributed to the so-called "poser scene". At about 0.15, a 24-year-old woman suffered slight head injuries from a stone thrown by a group of people unknown to her. The emergency services apprehended two suspects and checked them. Investigations are ongoing. At about 2 a.m., an 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by an unknown younger man in the central bus station. Shortly afterwards, the alerted forces of the mobile squad identified a suspect in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene and checked him. The 18-year-old man, who was breathalised, showed a value of about 1.5 promille, was charged with the crime.

The Bonn police will continue their presence and control actions along the Rhine banks near the city.

(Original text, Michael Wrobel)

Those responsible for Beueler Weiberfastnacht have decided that Lena I. (Lena Obliers) from Oberkassel will be the laundry princess. On Friday evening, she was introduced on the Beueler town hall forecourt to invited guests and according to all pandemic regulations. Alcohol was also deliberately not served. The 22-year-old, who had assisted her predecessor, Romina I. (Markmann), in the previous carnival session Lena Obliers, is the 63rd laundry princess in the history of the Women's Carnival, has already prepared herself for all eventualities but does not expect the carnival to be cancelled.

Janina Peeters-Daufenbach (DK Nixen vom Märchensee) and Judith Rötten (DK St. Josef) will assist her as washerwomen. The motto of the session has already been decided and the designs for the session badge and the Order of the Laundry Princess have already been drawn up and the orders for embossing have been placed. Obermöhn Ina Harder, figurehead of the Beueler Möhnen, justified the designated madness: "The custom of the Weiberfastnacht has not only gained its significance because of the attendance of carnival sessions and processions, but we visit schools, kindergartens and companies and advertise the custom." Harder said that whether they could visit retirement homes in the coming year must be decided at short notice at a later date.

Those responsible for the Beueler Weiberfastnacht are eagerly awaiting the decisions announced for August by the state government in Düsseldorf. "We must find out from lawmakers how they plan to organise Carnival. In any case, the working group and the sponsoring association are planning the session as usual with all events.

What Lena Obliers regrets is that so many societies have already given up the session: "That's a great pity, and I think it's still too early for that. Nobody knows how the pandemic will develop."

(Original text, Holger Willcke)

(Translations, John Chandler)