Popular ferry service in Bonn to be discontinued The Rheinnixe retires

Beuel/Bonn · The Rheinnixe ferry service between Beuel and Bonn is to be discontinued. Staffing problems and declining passenger numbers lead to the decision.

A popular means of transport: the Rheinnixe in front of the Beueler Rheinufer.

A popular means of transport: the Rheinnixe in front of the Beueler Rheinufer.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

For many citizens of the federal city, this is sad news: the Rheinnixe is going into early retirement and the ferry service from Beuel to Bonn and back is being discontinued.

This decision was not taken lightly by those responsible at Bonner Fähr- und Fahrgastschfffahrt GmbH (BFF). "After considering all aspects, it is currently not possible for us to continue the ferry service in a way that even comes close to covering our costs. The decision saddens us all, but we have to look after the entire company," says Angelika Schmitz, owner of the ferry, in an interview with the GA.

Ferry driver died unexpectedly in September

The first serious considerations regarding the closure of Bonn's last ferry line were triggered by the sudden death of ferry driver Hans-Peter Fischer in September this year. The 68-year-old was one of the few ferry drivers who held the necessary patent to cross the Rhine at this passage.

Klaus-Peter Fischer sat in the driver's cab of the Rheinnixe for the first time 25 years ago. At that time, he always stood in as ferry driver when there was a need. In the past three years - i.e. after his retirement as skipper - he sat on the ship almost every day and crossed Germany's longest river several times a day.

But since the beginning of July, the 25.1-metre-long and 6.6-metre-wide Rheinnixe has no longer been crossing from Beuel to Bonn. The reason was the extremely low water. Although the ferry did not sit on the bottom of the Rhine, it could no longer depart because of a shoal.

Passenger numbers were down

"In the end, several problems were decisive for our decision. There is currently no successor for our ferryman, we would have to have the ferry dredged again at our own expense, and passenger numbers have unfortunately been declining in the past," Angelika Schmitz emphasises.

According to BFF Managing Director Max Dornau, in order to be able to operate the Rheinnixe at least cost-covering, it has to run daily at least from April to October. "But the recurring low water makes that almost impossible," Dornau told GA. Only last year, the BFF had the pier in Beuel dredged at its own expense so that the ferry could set off from the shore at all. "We invested 50,000 Euro in this action. We would have to pay at least the same amount again now so that the Rheinnixe can depart at all," says Schmitz.

Fairway must be dredged clear

The culprit for this situation is the heavy rainfall event of 14 July 2021, which triggered, among other things, the floods on the Ahr and other rivers in the region, which were terrible in their effects. "Shortly after the costly dredging, the navigation channel was again covered with Rhine gravel," reports Dornau.

But the search for a successor to Hans-Peter Fischer also proved difficult. "Young ferrymen are not interested in this job because it is a seasonal operation. In summer you have to work all the time, but in winter you have a long break," says Dornau.

According to Schmitz, the industry is also currently experiencing a huge shortage of skilled workers: "As a company, we do train young people and try to keep them after their training, but the young people are mainly employed in the so-called longitudinal shipping." BFF and Köln-Tourist-Personenschifffahrt are currently training seven apprentices in inland navigation.

Ferry operations since the end of the war

In the recent past, operating the Rheinnixe has been more a matter of the heart for Schmitz. The ferry is closely linked to her family business. Her grandmother Sybille Schmitz started the ferry business shortly after the end of the Second World War. At that time, there was no intact Rhine bridge. It was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1944. Father Günter Schmitz took over the business and for about 50 years was on the road as a ferry driver almost every day from 7 am to 7 pm. "My father had his office on board and drove the ferry on the side. That was a different time," says the daughter. In 2015, the father retired.

And according to Schmitz, the number of passengers has also developed so negatively that the ferry cannot even be operated with a black zero: "We used to transport pupils of the Beethoven-Gymnasium from Beuel to Bonn and back. The pupils had a monthly ticket." But this income, too, had already collapsed years ago, he said.

Search for a buyer

"Now the ferry will remain idle on the banks of the Rhine in Beuel for the time being. We will look for a buyer, or we will need a government subsidy to continue operating it," says Schmitz. In her opinion, the Rheinnixe would also be suitable as a water bus or water taxi. Even a conversion to electricity operation would be technically possible, so that the ferry could be operated in a more environmentally friendly way.

In any case, the pier on the Beuel side of the Rhine will remain for the time being. "Perhaps another use for the ship will emerge in the next few years. One should never give up hope. But for now, we're going to stop operating it," explains Angelika Schmitz. (Original text: Holger Willcke / Translation: Mareike Graepel)

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