Upgrade between Troisdorf and Oberkassel Threat of three year delay to S13
Bonn · Deliberations in the Deutsche Bahn boardroom are causing disquiet in the region. The faster connection to the airport could be delayed by another three years.
Dear passengers, the S13 line towards the Cologne-Bonn airport is unfortunately three years late. Deutsche Bahn is apparently considering delaying the expansion works between Troisdorf and Oberkassel. However, the company told GA that nothing is decided yet. This explanation alone is enough to cause considerable disquiet among local politicians.
The reason for the railway’s deliberations is, by all accounts, construction works on the line between Hannover and Würzburg. Part of the freight traffic there is to be temporarily transferred to the right side of the Rhine. But there could be no work on the S13 for at least three years. The city administration told the General-Anzeiger that Deutsche Bahn had orally informed the city of the deliberations last week.
However, there was apparently no sign of a delay along the upgraded route. Before the weekend, the city of Troisdorf announced clearing works for the rest of January to make space for the route. Deutsche Bahn itself published a detailed timetable at the start of the year with all small and large construction steps, closures and diversions that the expansion of the S13 would entail in the area in 2018.
“The slow death of the S13 is imminent”
The company also did not confirm the years long delay on Monday afternoon.
A spokesman for the railway responded to the effect that for any construction measures, the effects on the entire German network had to be considered and weighed up. “If ongoing construction measures are affected during planning, the public will be informed accordingly at an early stage,” said the spokesman.
Detailed studies are currently underway into numerous possible diversion routes, which would be looked at particularly with a view to minimising the impact on passengers. “The first valid results will probably be available by the middle of the year. As a result, at this time no impact on the S13 has yet been determined,” finished the railway spokesman.
This news seems to give the relevant departments of the city of Bonn, Rhine-Sieg district and the Rhineland local transport (NVR) a reason to ask for further clarity. A joint letter is currently being drafted to get information on what DB is planning, whether there are alternatives and how this fits in with the plans for the S13, said Marc Hoffmann from the city’s press office and added: “The NVR, the city of Bonn and the Rhine-Sieg district will do everything possible so that the works on the S13 will proceed quickly and so there are no interruptions to the construction work.”
Meanwhile, Rolf Beu, chairman of the Bonn city council transport committee, has serious concerns. “The slow death of the S13 is imminent,” says the Green politician. “ An unacceptably long construction period of 13 years has become 16 – a record low for 12 kilometres,” says Beu. He suggests an alternative to the railway: they should reduce the construction period for the S13 so that this is finished before the start of the upgrade between Hannover and Würzburg.
(Original text: Rüdiger Franz. Translation: kc)
